HEADQUARTERS, Baltimore, March 17, 1862.

The POLICE COMMISSIONERS, City of Baltimore.

GENTLEMEN: In behalf of the Government of the United States I give notice that the police force established under its authority will be placed under your control on the 20th instant. In making this communication to you I respectfully request the retention of Mr. McPhail, whose great executive ability has been of incalculable service to the Government. There is still as you are well aware a suppressed feeling of disloyalty in a portion of the population of this city, and I deem it of the utmost importance to the Government that Mr. McPhail should be retained on account of his familiar acquaintance with the transactions of the last eight months and the public necessities which have grown out of those transactions and which still continue to exist.

I am, gentlemen, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN A. DIX,

Major-General.

Arrest of the Mayor, Marshal and Police Commissioners of Baltimore by the Military Authorities.

Memoranda from Record Book, State Department, "Arrests for Disloyalty. "

George William Brown* of Baltimore, mayor of said city, was arrested by military authority on or about the 13th day of September, 1861, and was delivered by Major-General Dix to the custody of Major-General Wool at Fort Monroe on the 14th day of September, 1861, by order from the War Department. He was afterward transferred to Fort Lafayette by order of Lieutenant-General Scott and still later to Fort Warren. There are no papers in the State Department showing the precise character of the charges against Brown. The action of the Department in regard to this person has been upon applications to visit him and to release him upon parole or otherwise; in all which the advice of the military department in which he resided and was arrested has been taken as a guide. On the 4th day of December, 1861, Brown was released from confinement on his parole not to leave the New England States nor to do any act hostile or injurious to the United States. The duration of his release and parole was limited to thirty days. On the 4th day of January, 1862, Brown surrendered himself according to the conditions of his parole, but was not recommitted to Fort Warren till January 14, till which time correspondence was taking place in relation to an extension of his parole or his release upon other terms. He was offered an extension of his parole for ninety days but declined it and was recommitted to Fort Warren on the 14th day of January, 1862, as aforesaid. The said George William Brown remained in custody at Fort Warren February 15, 1862, when in conformity with the order of the War Department of the preceding day he was transferred to the charge of that Department.

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*Brown was arrested with the members of the legislature some two months subsequent to the arrest of the Baltimore police commissioners. The order finally releasing Brown, Kane, Howard, and Gatchell will be found at p. 748. Davis had previously been released by General Dix on parole, which parole was renewed about January 18, 1862, indefinitely. See p. 667 et seq. for correspondence, etc., relating to the arrest of certain members of the Maryland legislature. --COMPILER.

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