WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, April 27, 1865-7.40 p. m.

PROVOST-MARSHAL, Portland, Me.:

This Department has information from Canada that Jacob Thompson, George N. Sanders, and Beverly Tucker, rebel agents, are, or soon will be, at or in the vicinity of Portland, disguised and concealed, for the purpose of escaping to Europe. Every train that arrives and every vessel that leaves Portland should be searched for them and no effort spared for their apprehension. Please notify your people to be on the watch.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

(Same to Honorable William P. Fessenden, Honorable Hannibal Hamlin, collector of the port of Portland, and mayor of Portland.)

WAR DEPT., PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL'S BUREAU,

Washington, D. C., April 27, 1865.

Captain C. H. DOUGHTY, Provost-Marshal, Portland, Me.:

Jacob Thompson, George N. Sanders, and Beverly Tucker are expected to arrive in Portland soon from Canada to take passage for Europe.

Do everything possible to detect and arrest them. Let all persons arriving at or leaving Portland be carefully scrutinized, using your detectives for this purpose in such a way as not to disclose your object or attract attention further than necessary. Try and get some person who can identify the parties or get descriptions of them. They will probably be disguised. Acknowledge receipt by telegraph and report anything of importance.

JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General.

RICHMOND, April 27, 1865.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT,

Commanding the Armies of the United States:

GENERAL: I transmit for persual a communication* just received and ask your interposition in behalf of the authors. Similar statements have been made to me by officers of rank, which I have not thought it necessary to trouble you with, believing that the obstacles mentioned would be removed as soon as possible. This is still my conviction, and I should consider it unnecessary to call your attention to the subject had I not been informed of orders issued by the military commanders at Norfolk and Baltimore requiring oaths of paroled soldiers before permitting them to proceed on their journey. Officers and men on parole are bound in honor to conform to the obilgations they have assumed. This obligation cannot be strengthened by any additional form of oath, nor is it customary to exact them.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

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*Not found.

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