to be overtaken, threw himself over a precipice into the river, and succeeding in getting his hands loose, swam to the opposite side, and, although pursued to that side and several times fired upon, he, after twenty-four hours of extraordinary exertions and great exposure, reached a house, whence he was taken to Tullahoma, where he now lies in critical situation. The others, after being shot, were immediately thrown into the river. Thus the murder of 3 men, Newell E. Orcutt, Ninth Independent Battery Ohio Volunteer Artillery; John W. Drought, Company H, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteers, and Goerge W. Jacobs, Company D, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteers, was accomplished by shooting and drowning. The fourth, James W. Foley, Ninth Independent Battery Ohio Volunteer Artillery, is now lying in hospital, having escaped by getting his hands free while in the water.

For these atrocious and cold-blooded murders, equaling in savage ferocity any ever committed by the most barbarous tribes on the continent, committed by rebel citizens of Tennessee, it is ordered that the property of all other rebel citizens living within a circuit of 10 miles of the place where these men were captured be assessed, each in his due proportion, according to his wealth, to make up the sum of $30,000, to be divided among the families who were dependent upon the murdered men for support, as follows:

Ten thousand dollars to be paid to the widow of John W. Drought, of North Cape, Racine County, Wis., for the support of herself and two children.

Ten thousand dollars to be paid to the widow of George W. Jacobs, of Delavan, Walworth County, Wis., for the support of herself and one child.

Ten thousand dollars to be divided between the aged mother and sister of Newell E. Orcutt, of Burton, Geauga County, Ohio.

Should the persons assessed fail, within one week after notice shall have been served upon them, to pay in the amount of their tax in money, sufficient of their personal property shall be seized and sold at public auction to make up the amount.

Major General H. W. Slocum, U. S. Volunteers, commanding Twelfth Army Corps, is charged with the execution of this order.

The men who committed these murders, if caught, will be summarily executed, and any persons executing them will be held guiltless and will receive the protection of this army; and all persons who are suspected of having aided, abetted, or harbored these guerrillas will be immediately arrested and tried by military commission.

By command of Major-General Thomas:

WM. D. WHIPPLE,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO,

Numbers 6.
Knoxville, Tenn., January 6, 1864.

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II. Colonel A. V. Kautz, Second Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, will proceed to Camp Nelson, Ky., and organize the regiments of East Tennessee mounted troops now at Camp Nelson and Camp Burnside.

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By command of Major-General Foster:

HENRY CURTIS, JR.,

Assistant Adjutant-General.