Today in History:

295 Series II Volume III- Serial 116 - Prisoners of War

Page 295 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.

river during the afternoon of yesterday, and why they did not return immediately after accomlishing the object of their trip, if as was supposed at department headquarters that object was an exchange of prisoners under a flag of truce. It is presumed that these steamers availed themselves of the opporutnity of sounding the river.

This presumption is a legitimate deduction from their movements and if well founded I earnestly protest against the act as a direct violation and abuse of the flag of truce.

I send herewith Major James M. Goggin of my staff, Lieutenant Carter, one non-commissioned officer and six privates of dragoons.

L. MCLAWS,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[Indorsement.]

AT CAMP BUTLER, February 20.

Respectfully referred to the major-general commanding.

MANSFIELD,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

GENERAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Numbers 60.
Washington, February 21, 1862.

I. Brigadier General Andrew Prter is announced as provost-marshal-general of the Army of the Potomac and will be obeyed and respected accordingly.

II. A provost-marshal for each division will be appointed by its commander. The division provost-marshal will obey the orders of the division commander in all matters affecting interior police, but will be responsible to the provost-marshal-general and be guided by such instructions as he may from time to time give. A sufficient guard will be detailed by the division commander for duty under the orders of the provost-marshal. *

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IX. All prisoners captured from the enemy will be turned over to the provost-marshal of division, who will send them at the earliest practicable moment with complete descriptive list and information as to where, when and how they were captured to the provost-marshal-general.

* * * *

By command of Major-General McClellan:

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


HDQRS. OF THE ARMY, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Washington, February 21, 1862.

COMMANDING OFFICER ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

Washington, D. C.

SIR: The Secretary of War directs that as soon as Thomas J. Parks, of South Carolina, a prisoner taken in arms against the United States at the battle of Dranesville and now in the division hospital at Camp Peirpoint, Va., is sufficientlyrecovered to travel he be permitted to

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*For paragraph 8 of this order see Vol. II, this Series, p. 239.

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