[Indorsement.] The letter of which above is copy was received Adjutant-General's Office June 17, 1865, and submitted to the Secretary of War, who directed me to transmit it to Attorney-General with letter below: WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTant-General's Office, Hon. JAMES SPEED, Attorney-General: June 17, 1865. SIR: By direction of the Secretary of War I have the honor to transmit herewith a letter from Jefferson Davis to Mr. Charles O'Conor, of New York, to be forwarded or otherwise disposed of as you deem proper. I am, &c., E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, Brig. Gen. WILLIAM HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington, D. C.: GENERAL: Original rolls of the paroled Union prisoners received from Confederate authorities near Baldwin, Fla., were forwarded to you by mail May 12, 1865. If men of the Seventy fifth Ohio, One hundred and seventh_Ohio, and Seventeenth Connecticut remained behind they did so by deserting either from camp or hospital. They will be forwarded at once. Respectfully, your obedient servant, CIRCULAR.] Q. A. GILLMORE, OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Washington, D. C., June 17, 1865. Pursuant to instructions from Lieutenant General Grant, commanderin-chief, you will immediately release, on their taking the oath of allegiance, all citizen prisoners in your custody who have no charges against them, or against whom there are no serious charges upon which they may be immediately brought to trial. Doubtful cases will be referred to this office. Rolls of those released under the order will be immediately forwarded to this office; also rolls of those retained after the execution of the order. W. HOFFMAN, Brt. Brig. Gen., U. S. Army, Commissary-General of Prisoners. HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE JAMES, Brevet Brigadier-General HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington: Much complaint is made that prisoners have nothing to eat from Point Lookout to Richmond for thirty-six to forty-eight hours; no care of the sick, and that they are landed without notice to military authori ties here. Rations for the voyage should be given at Point Lookout, and the sick should not be put ashore at Ro ketts till ambulances and stretchers are ready to take the sick to hospitals. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General, Commanding. HDQRS. MILITARY DISTRICT OF FORT MONROE, Byt. Col. EDWARD W. SMITH, Assistant Adjutant-General: COLONEL: General Halleck's order confiuing C. C. Clay requires that two sentinels be constantly in the cell with him, the relieving of which during the night disturbs and frets him very much. As he is not in good health, and as he gave himself up, I would respectfully recommend that they be posted outside the grated doors which connect the cell with the room in which the officer of the guard is stationed, and where they can watch the prisoner just as well as if inside. Mr. Clay desires to have the work entitled Bishop Evidences of Christianity permitted him. I respectfully ask if it can be granted. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, NELSON A. MILES, Brevet Major-General of Volunteers. HDQRS. MILITARY DISTRICT OF FORT MONROE, Fort Monroe, Va., June 17, 1865. Received from Maj. Gen. John A. Dix, per Second Lieut. William H. Morris, Twentieth New York Independent Battery, one prisoner named John Mitchel, late editor of the Richmond Examiner. JOHN S. MCEWAN, Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, June 17, 1865. CHARLES O'CONOR, Esq., New York City: SIR: I am directed by the Secretary of War to acknowledge your letter of the 15th addressed to him, received this morning, and to inform you in reply that your letter tendering your service as counsel to Jefferson Davis was duly delivered to him. A reply was forwarded under cover to me which, by direction of the Secretary of War, was referred to the Attorney-General, who, deeming it an improper communication, advised its return to Mr. Davis for correction. It was returned accordingly, since which time nothing further bas been received from Mr. Davis by this Department. This Your application that you or your associate should have a personal interview with Mr. Davis is deemed inadmissible at present. Department being now charged only with the custody and safe-keeping of Mr. Davis, any further communications in reference to him you will please address to the Attorney General. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, June 17, 1865. The answer of Jefferson Davis to Charles O'Conor was submitted by me to the Secretary of War day of its receipt; by his order taken to Mr. 42 R R-SERIES II, VOL VIII Seward, Secretary of State, who retained it, saying he would communicate directly with the Secretary of War. To day Mr. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War, stated it was returned with Mr. Seward's remark "it ought not to be sent to O'Conor in its present form," and Mr. Dana took it (last Monday, the 12th instant) to Mr. Speed, Attorney-General, who gave same decision, and Mr. Dana returned it to General Miles with that decision. E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF Prisoners, Col. T. INGRAHAM, Pro. Mar. Gen., Defenses North of the Potomac, Washington, D. C.: COLONEL: I am directed by the Commissary-General of Prisoners to inform you that the circular order in relation to the release of citizen prisoners does not apply to those arrested by order of the Secretary of War in connection with the assassination of the late President. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. T. HARTZ, Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, June 18, 1865—12.30 p.m. Maj. Gen. JOHN A. DIX, Commanding, &c., New York: On the arrival of the steamer Constitution from New Orleans you will commit G. W. Gayle, who comes in charge of Captain Mehaffey, of General Cauby's staff, to Fort Lafayette, and send Graves and Cantley to this city with Captain Mehaffey.* By order of the Secretary of War: C. A. DANA, Assistant Secretary of War. HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF FLORIDA, FOURTH SEPARATE BRIGADE, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, Maj. W. L. M. BURGER, Jacksonville, Fla., June 18, 1865. Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the South: MAJOR: I have the honor to report, in accordance with instructions from department headquarters, that D. L. Yulee and A. K. Allison, of Florida, have been sent under the charge of Captain Bryant, Thirtyfourth U. S. Colored Troops, to Fort Pulaski, Ga. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding. *For correspondence relating to G. W. Gayle, not published in this series, see Series I, Vol. XLIX, Part II. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, Surgeon RANDOLPH, OFFICE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL, Saint Louis, Mo., June 19, 1865. Medical Director, Dept. of the Missouri, Saint Louis, Mo.: SIR: The major-general commanding has directed that such paroled rebels as are unable to proceed to their homes shall be received into the military hospitals and medical aid rendered them. A large number of paroled men are here on the levee, some of whom are too sick to move and are in a very bad condition, Will you please notify me immedi ately to what hospital or hospitals they must be sent, in compliance with the general's directions? Very respectfully, J. H. BAKER, Colonel and Provost-Marshal-General. [Indorsement.] MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, Saint Louis, Mo., June 19, 1865. Respectfully returned to the provost-marshal-general Department of the Missouri, with the information that ambulances have already been sent to the levee to remove the within-named men to Schofield Barracks. Those who cannot be accommodated there will be sent to the Marine General Hospital. JNO. F. RANDOLPH, Surgeon, U. S. Army, and Medical Director. THOMAS CAROTHERS, HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF TEXAS, Superintendent Texas Penitentiary, Huntsville, Tex.: SIR: By direction of Major-General Granger, commanding, you will without delay send to this place, under proper escort to secure their safety, all negroes now in your custody who have been placed there because of capture from the U. S. forces, or on account of the law of Texas under recent rule directing the imprisonment or assignment to masters of all the free persons of color within the State. You will also send under proper escort all persons who are confined in the penitentiary solely on account of unfriendly disposition toward the late Confederate authority. It is the design to have thus sent all persons guilty of offenses which are not acknowledged to be offenses against justice equally in the Northern and Southern States. You will continue to use all proper means necessary to prevent violence against the persons and property in your charge. General Grange desires that you report here as soon as practicable with full lists of all prisoners, and full statements in each case of the crimes for which they have been sentenced to punishment. In sending here the men directed to be sent you will have full statements of the cases accompany them. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, F. W. EMERY, Major and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS FORT DELAWARE, DEL., June 20, 1865. Bvt. Brig. Gen. WILLIAM HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington, D. C.: GENERAL: I have the honor to report that telegraphic orders direct from the Secretary of War prohibit all communication with or between Colonels Lubbock and Johnston, either verbally or in writing, and I will therefore hold the letter you inclosed to me on the 17th instant for delivery to Colonel Johnston, until you inform me whether I have misinterpreted the order, a copy of which I herewith inclose.* I am, general, very respectfully, A. SCHOEPF, DEPOT FOR PRISONERS OF WAR, MEDICAL INSPECTOR-GENERAL U. S. ARMY: COLONEL: I have just completed the inspection at this depot, required by your order of June 17, respecting the causes of mortality, &c., among the prisoners. The camp will be cleared of prisoners during the week, and as my report will necessarily be delayed in completion for a few days, I would respectfully recommend that those remaining in hospital be transferred to Davids Island; that the hospital attendants (who are prisoners) may also be discharged. General Wessells informs me that he will require authority from the Commissary-General of Prisoners, also an order to the medical director, to authorize the transfer. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, [First indorsement.] MEDICAL INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S OFFICE, June 22, 1865. Respectfully referred to the Surgeon-General U. S. Army. JNO. M. CUYLER, Medical Inspector, U. S. Army, Actg. Medical Inspector-General. [Second indorsement.] SURGEON-GENERAL'S OFFICE, June 23, 1865. Respectfully referred to Medical Director Sloan, U. S. Army, for remark. By order of the Surgeon-General: W. C. SPENCER, Assistant Surgeon, U. S. Army. [Third indorsement.] MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, DEPT. OF THE EAST, New York, June 24, 1865. Respectfully returned, with the report that the sick rebel prisoners remaining at Hart's Island (thirty-seven in number) are now in the * See Stanton to Schoepf, May 23, p. 569. |