CHAP. XIII.] CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.

attends to the duties of his company. From this circumstance, not finding a volunteer officer fit for the duty, I have been compelled to take Captain Raynolds, of the Topographical Engineers, for aide-de-camp, which I request may be approved. I require two more, as the assistance of Captain Raynolds is indispensable in the office of the acting assistant adjutant-general.

The Tenth New York Regiment is attached to the garrison of Fort Monroe, but are wholly unfit for the position. As soon as I can make the arrangements, I intend to exchange this regiment for another and a better one.

To operate on this coast with success (I mean between this and Florida) we want more troops. At any rate, I think we ought to have a much larger force in this department. If I had 20,000 or 25,000 men, in conjunction with the Navy, we could do much on this coast to bring back from Virginia the troops of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia; but the arrangements should be left to Commodore Stringham and myself. I do not think it can be done efficiently at Washington. We know better than any one at Washington attached to the Navy what we require for such expeditions.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN E. WOOL, Major-General.

GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, Numbers 4. } Fort Monroe, Va., August 24, 1861.

I. Many of the inhabitants of Elizabeth City County complain of depredations having been committed on their property by soldiers stationed in their neighborhood. All such persons or others residing within the pale of this command, engaged in farming, cultivating their fields and gardens, tending their flocks or herds, or bringing provisions or supplies to the several camps or posts for the use of the troops, and pursuing peaceably their ordinary avocations, and who do not communicate, directly or indirectly, with the rebel forces, and who may comply with such orders as may be given them, will be protected in their persons and property. any violation of this order by officers or soldiers, or any parties interested, will be severely punished, and those who force a safe-guard, on conviction before a court-martial, will be punished with death.

II. The attention of all who are embrace din this order, and of all others whose business brings them within the limits of this command, whether by land or water, is called to the fifty-sixth and fifty-seventh articles of war, as follows:

56. Whosoever shall relieve the enemy with money, victuals, or ammunition, or shall knowingly harbor or protect an enemy, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a court-martial.

57. Whosoever shall be convicted of holding correspondence with or giving intelligence to the enemy, either directly or indirectly, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a court-martial.

III. No officers, soldiers, or citizens will be allowed to go out or come in by the pickets without orders from these headquarters. Persons arriving at the pickets, and wishing to come inside, will e detained until their business can be made known to these headquarters and proper permission given. This does not apply to persons bringing provisions, who are already provided with property-signed passes.

IV. No citizens will be allowed to pass beyond Mill Creek Bridge or