II. Orders heretofore issued in this department in regard to pillaging, marauding, the destruction of private property, and the stealing and concealment of slaves must be strictly enforced. It does not belong to the military to decide upon the relation of master and slave. Such questions must be settled by the civil courts. No fugitive slave will, therefore, be admitted within our lines or camps, except when specially ordered by the general commanding.

III. Women and children, merchants, farmers, mechanics, and all persons not in arms are regarded as non-combatants, and are not to be molested either in their persons or property. If, however, they aid and assist the enemy they become belligerents, and will be treated as such. If they violate they laws of war, they will be made to suffer the penalties of such violation.

IV. Military stores and public property of the enemy must be surrendered, and any attempt to conceal such property, by fraudulent transfers or otherwise, will be punished, but no private property will be touched, unless by the orders of the general commanding. Wherever it becomes necessary to levy forced contributions for the supply and subsistence of our troops, such levies will be made as light as possible, and be so distributed as to produce no distress among the people. All property so taken must be receipted and duly accounted for, as heretofore directed.

V. These orders will be read at the head of every regiment, and all officers are commanded to strictly enforce them.

By command of Major-General Halleck:

N. H. McLEAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS, Commerce, Mo., February 23, 1862.

Brigadier General G. W. CULLUM,
Cairo:

I arrived here last night with 140 men of the Forty-seventh Illinois, having given orders to the Fifty-ninth Indiana and the three companies of the Forty-sixth Indiana, together with the Forty-seventh Illinois, to follow me immediately. These regiments and companies were on board steamers War Eagle, Atlantic, and New Golden State, and ready to push out when I left. None of them have reached here, and I presume they neglected to obey their orders. I am here with a very small force, and I dislike to land the stores, &c., for fear of accident, until I have a force sufficient to make them secure. Will you please order the boats to leave at once for this place.

I am, general, respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. POPE,

Brigadier-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS ARMY IN THE FIELD, Numbers 35.
Commerce, February 23, 1862.

The Thirty-fourth, Forty-third, Forty-sixth, Forty-seventh, and Fifty-ninth Indiana Regiments will constitute the First Brigade of the Second Division of this army, and will be commanded by Colonel J. R. Slack, Forty-seventh Indiana Regiment.