HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, La., July 19, 1862.

Captain STAFFORD, Assistant Provost-Marshal:

SIR: The course pursued by certain persons in ordering their slaves "to go to the Yankees," or to join the Federals, described in your note, and like acts, has been brought to my notice, from different sources previously to your communication, and certainly is a great wrong as well to the Government as to the negroes. In order to correct this evil, therefore, let it be known that all such declarations by the owners to their slaves will by the authority here be taken and deemed acts of voluntary emancipation, and slaves sent away by their masters with such declarations as you described, or equivalent ones, will be regarded and treated as manumitted and emancipated. You will see to it that this necessary police regulation is carried into effect.

Respectfully,

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. WESTERN DIST., DEPT. OF THE SOUTH,
Pensacola, Fla., July 19, 1862.

Major General BENJAMIN F. BUTLER,

Commanding Department of the Gulf, New Orleans, La.:

GENERAL: The steamboat Creole arrived here yesterday and answers the requirements of the public service in this harbor remarkably well. I thank you for so promptly responding to my call for a river steamboat. It would afford me great pleasure to furnish General Butler with anything in this district needed for the public service, provided I could do so with propriety, in accordance with my duty to my own command and my responsibility to the commander of the Department of the South. As all of the regular officers of experience serving with my command are performing such responsible duties at present that they could not possibly be detached even for a limited time, and as my old department has been merged into the Department of the South, and been called a district, I do not feel as free to act now as formerly, unless immediate action is necessary and the urgency of the case demands that I should take the responsibility.

I regret, for the reason cited above, that I am unable at this time to gratify you by ordering a regular officer to report to you for the purpose stated in your communication of the 10th instant. I have been informed that your chief of artillery, &c., can furnish me with ordnance and ordnance stores, which I require immediately. You will greatly benefit the service and oblige me by ordering your staff officers to fill the requisitions made on them by my chief quartermaster and acting ordnance officers, if the articles required can be conveniently supplied from the stores on hand in the Department of the Gulf.

I am, general, with great respect, your obedient servant,

L. G. ARNOLD,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, No. 50.
New Orleans, July 19, 1862.

Each bank and banking company in New Orleans will make, under