SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, Numbers 11.
Culpeper Court-House, Va., April 14, 1864.

Brigadier General Hiram Burnham, U. S. Volunteers, is hereby relieved from duty in the Army of the Potomac, and will report in person, without delay, to Major General B. F. Butler, commanding Department of Virginia and North Carolina, for orders.

By command of Lieutenant-General Grant:

T. S. BOWERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

WASHINGTON, D. C., April 14, 1864-1 p. m.

Major-General BUTLER, Fort Monroe:

Lieutenant-General Grant directs that about one-half of the railroad iron at Norfolk be removed to Alexandria. It is reported that there is enough at Norfolk to lay about 26 miles of track. The Quartermaster's Department will send for it as it is wanted.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General, Chief of Staff.

FORTRESS MONROE, VA.,

April 14, 1864-9. 30 p. m. (Received 10. 20 p. m.)

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT:

Colonel Kautz is a most excellent officer, but all my cavalry colonels rank him. No officer ordered here has as yet reported.

B. F. BUTLER,

Major-General.

HDQRS. 18TH ARMY CORPS, DEPT. OF VA. AND N. C.,
Fort Monroe, April 14, 1864.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT, Commanding U. S. Armies:

GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose official copies of the correspondence between General Pickett, commanding Confederate forces, District of North Carolina, and General Peck, commanding U. S. forces in said district, relative to the execution of certain prisoners belonging to the Second North Carolina Regiment. Many of these men were conscripted by the rebels. All of them were citizens of the United States, who owed their allegiance to our Government; if misguided, they forfeited their allegiance, repented, and returned to it again. They have only done their duty, and, in my judgment, are to be protected in so doing. I do not recognize and right in the rebels to execute a United States soldier because either by force or fraud, or by voluntary enlistment even, he has been once brought into their ranks and has escaped therefrom. I suppose all the rights they can claim as belligerent is to execute one of the deserters from their army while he holds simply the character of a deserter during the time he has renounced his allegiance, and before he has again claimed that protection and it has been accorded to him. Therefore by no law of nations and by no belligerent rights have the rebels any power over him other than to treat him as a prisoner of war if captured.

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