Fifth. To ascertain the amount, number, and character of crimes that have been committed in that section of the district within the last six months and the names of the guilty parties, and the names of witnesses as far as may be.

Sixth. To ascertain whether a safeguard for the property occupied for the school-house has been violated, and, if so, by what troops. This information will be obtained and a report made as soon as possible.

JOHN B. SANBORN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI,
Springfield, Mo., February 11, 1864.

Colonel J. D. ALLEN,

Commanding Seventh Provisional Regiment, Mount Vernon, Mo.:

Your attention is called to the irregularities and crimes reported to be committed in the section of the district occupied by your command, and you are enjoined to use all diligence to apprehend the guilty parties, whether they are soldiers or citizens, and send them at once to Springfield for trial, and the name and residence of all witnesses. You will immediately report all crimes committed to these headquarters, specifying the time and place where committed, and the parties by whom, if known, and if not known you will use all efforts and so much of your force as may be necessary to find the guilty parties and bring them to justice. Impress upon all officers and men of your command the idea that being in service is no shield from crime, but that all crime and bad conduct are aggravated by that fact, for the reason that more is justly expected from those in the employ of the Government hat those not so employed. Impress to the utmost upon the minds of all officers and men the ideas that the great object and duty of the troops of this section of the district is to restore law and order to society and that all connected with the army must be conservators of the peace and not violators and disturbers of it.

All citizens in your section and all soldiers of your command guilty of offenses committed within the last six months should at once be arrested and sent to the provost-marshal for trial. You will be particular to enforce General Orders, No. 9, current series, in regard to persons furnishing liquors to soldiers, and any assistant provost-marshal failing to enforce the order fully will be at once arrested and ordered to Springfield. It is reported with a good degree of reliability that some of the officers of your amend, those at Melville, I think, have furnished liquors to their own enlisted men, and that the soldiers of their command have expressed contempt of safeguards issued from these headquarters. You will inform yourself at the earliest opportunity if such statements are true, and if found to be true you will visit severe punishment to the officers guilty, and if the offense is repeated you will report that fact and the names of the officers to these headquarters.

It is also reported by the commissary of subsistence that some of the commanding officers of companies of your regiment have given receipts for more fresh beef than has been furnished them, with the understanding with the party furnishing the beef that the profits