Congress they are clearly free; still you must not encumber yourself with them. Make them stop at Thibodeaux, from whence, when we get cars running, we can transport them to Algiers, if necessary. If they pillage of course we cannot help it. It is one of the necessary evils following this system of labor and the rebellion as far as I can see.

Everything is quiet here. We have had no arrivals from the North. Through secesh channels we learn that Bragg has evacuated Kentucky. The elections in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana have been in favor of the Democracy, so secesh reports, but with this we have nothing to do, as I suppose it will not affect the prosecution of the war.

Push on to Brashear City as soon as possible, to be able to act in conjunction with Buchanan.

I have a dispatch from Colonel Holcomb at Donaldsonville; he reports everything quiet there. The Essex has gone up there.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General, Commanding.

By WM. L. G. GREEN,

Lieutenant and Aide-de-Camp.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, New Orleans, October 30, 1862.

CONSUL OF THE UNITED STATES AT MATAMORAS:

SIR: I am intending with the next thirty days to send a boat to Matamoras to take off such Union Texas refugees as would like to enlist in a Texas regiment which I am organizing here, and hope shortly to send them to Galveston. Will you therefore notify all loyal Texans within your power to come into Matamoras for this purpose.

Please inform me by earliest return conveyance how many of such persons there will probably be sent forward.

Respectfully, yours,
BENJ. F. BUTLER.

[NOVEMBER 1, 1862.-For Butler to Stanton, transmitting correspondence with French consul concerning blankets claimed by Barriere Brothers and seized by the United States, see Series III, Vol. II.]

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, No. 88.
New Orleans, November 1, 1862.

I. No person will be arrested as a slave by any policeman or other person and put in confinement for safekeeping unless the person arresting knows that such person is owned by a loyal citizen of the United States.

II. The inspector and superintendent of prisons is authorized to discharge from confinement all slaves not known to be slaves of loyal owners.

By command of Major-General Butler:

GEO. C. STRONG,

Assistant Adjutant-General.