about 9 o'clock in the p. m. Captain Poole arrived here with an order for the prisoners. I informed [him] of the existing circumstances and asked him how many men he had, and he replied five. I then communicated to him my fear that the prisoners would be wrested from him by the mob, and as the train would not leave Navasota, ten miles from here, until 8 o'clock next morning, I urged his staying until daylight, telling him it would then be time enough for him to get to Navasota to take the cars, and would enable us to find out the truth or falsity of the report about the mob, as my scouts would bring in their reports during the night. He, however, peremptorily demanded the prisoners, and informed me that unless I delivered them to him in one hour he would leave, as he did not believe the report of a mob. I replied to him that while I did not know it to be cure, I did not know it to be false, as the mob had threatened to renew their attempt, and, under the circumstances, I felt it my duty to hold them, and should decline to deliver them until instructed from headquarters, and that I should immediately telegraph to headquarters for orders, as his orders were not given with reference to existing circumstances. I then started to the telegraph office to send off a dispatch, and after I got upstairs (the office is in the second story), Captain Poole called me down and advised men to telegraph. I, however, felt it my duty to telegraph, but the operator failed to get his instrument to work. Upon reflecting upon the circumstances, considering the fact that I had not been furnished from headquarters with any official copy of the order, nor any notice thereof, and Captain Poole being a total stranger to me, and all the other circumstances, I arrived at a suspicion as to the genuineness of the order, and hence I so stated in my telegram and indeed informed Captain Poole of my suspicion, without casting any reflection upon him. After I failed that night to telegraph, Captain Poole until I could hear from headquarters, and the next morning about 10 o'clock (as soon as the operator could get his instrument to work) I sent off my dispatch and received the answer about 2 o'clock p. m., and thereby learned my suspicions to be groundless. Captain Poole concurring, I delivered the prisoners to him on his demand Tuesday morning, the 21st instant. I very much regret that this matter should have happened, but certainly I acted from an impelling sense of duty, and though no mob appeared, I simply was mistaken in my fears about it.

C. P. SMITH,

Lieutenant, Commanding Post.

SPECIAL ORDERS, WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 226.
Washington, July 2, 1864.

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4. Brigadier General James Barnes, U. S. Volunteers, is hereby relieved from duty as a member of the general court-martial instituted by Special Orders, Numbers 122, and will proceed without delay to Point Lookout, Md., and assume command of the prisoners' camp at that place.

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By order of the Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEND,
Assistant Adjutant-General.