EASTPORT, June 8, 1865.

Major General GEORGE H. THOMAS:

Can be sentence of death be enforced against persons defined as outlaws in general orders, without referring to higher authority for approval, when a military commission convened by a division commander find the person formerly a guerrilla guilty of breaking his parole?

E. HATCH,

Brevet Major-General.

NASHVILLE, June 8, 1865.

Major-General HATCH,

Eastport:

We have no precedent in this department for the execution of a death sentence by order of a division commander. There is no law or order authorizing this action by any authority except the department commander or the War Department. The general has expressed the same opinion in cases of this nature heretofore presented to him.

WM. D. WHIPPLE,

Brigadier-General, &c.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS,
MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

Eastport, Miss., June 8, 1865.

Brigadier General W. D. WHIPPLE,

Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff,

Department of the Cumberland, Nashville, Tenn.:

I have the honor to forward herewith for the information of the major-general commanding proceedings of citizens of Franklin County, Ala., at the court-house in the town of Frankfort, May 23, 1865.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EDWARD HATCH,

Brevet Major-General, Commanding.

[Inclosure.]

PUBLIC MEETING.

At a large and highly respectable meeting of the citizens of Franklin County, Ala., held at the court-house in the town of Frankfort on Tuesday, the 23rd day of May, 1865, the following proceeding were had, viz:

On motion of William Skinner, esq., James W. Ligon was made president, N. T. Underwood and Henry C. Tompkins vice-presidents, and the Honorable C. Womble secretary. The meeting being organized, Honorable R. S. Watkins moved that a committee of thirteen citizens be appointed by the president to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting, which was adopted. Thereupon the following persons were appointed as such committee, viz: R. S. Watkins, J. B. Moore, John Seal, Levi Mahan, C. M. Tompkins, D. V. Sevier, Reuben Moody, John Weatherford, Christopher Tompkins, Armstead Payne, James H. Shrygley, William Skinner, Thomas Thorn, Edwin S. Vinson, and Riley Sparks (the two last having been added by order of the meeting), who thereupon retired to consider the matters referred to them. During the absence of the committee T. M. Peters, esq., of Moulton, being called on, addressed the meeting in a temperate and appropriate speech,