and whereas by an act of Congress approved March 3, 1863, all able bodied male citizens of the United States, between the ages of twenty and forty-five years, are declared to constitute the national forces, and shall be liable to perform military duty when called upon by the President; therefore, all colored men, slaves or otherwise, in this department come within this act.

Colonel S. M. Bowman, chief mustering and recruiting officer for colored troops in Maryland, is authorized to enlist all such in the service of the United States; and for this purpose he is directed to send a recruiting officer, accompanied by a surgeon, to jails, slave-pens,or other places of confinement, who shall be authorized to enlist all colored men found in these places, if passed by the surgeon, upon their signifying their willingness so to enlist, provided that none so enlisted are held under criminal process.

And any one who shall refuse to give access to such recruiting officer, or who shall throw obstacles in the way of the execution of this order, will be reported to these headquarters, and such offender will be held responsible for interfering with enlistments and dealt with accordingly:

By order of Brigadier General H. H. Lockwood;

WM. W. CHESEBROUGH,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 118.
Washington, March 15, 1864.

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55. On the expiration of their furloughs, all veteran troops of the North Army Corps, Major-General Burnside, U. S. Volunteers, commanding, will be sent to the depot for the Ninth Corps at Annapolis, Md. Superintends of recruiting service for States which are represented in the Ninth Corps are charged with the prompt execution of this order.

* * * * * * *

By order of the Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEND,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

March 16, 1864-10 p. m. (Received 11 p. m.)

Major-General HALLECK:

The following intelligence received from scouts just returned is sent for your information:

The enemy are making large preparations for the capture of Norfolk. Heavy details are made from Pickett's division to work on the gun-boats now building at Richmond. The work is pushed-night and day, and it is expected three gun-boats will be finished in three or four weeks. They are also building floats or rafts to carry guns to move down the James River with their fleet. Longstreet is to have command on the Blackwater for the main attack on Norfolk. His whole command is expected at Petersburg. His force estimated at 15,000. Pontoons have been sent from Richmond to petersburg. A feint will be made on Williamsburg with a force of 3,000 infantry, with some cavalry and artillery, and for this purpose Ford's Bridge over the Chickahominy is being rebuilt. *

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*Substance of this paragraph telegraph to Augur, same date. Repeated to Grant by Halleck, March 17.

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