suspension of all civil jurisdiction [with the exception of that enabling the courts to take cognizance of the probate of wills, the administration of the estates of deceased persons, the qualification of guardians, to enter decrees and orders for the partition and sale of property, to make orders concerning roads and bridges, to assess county levies, and to order the payment of county dues], and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in the country aforesaid:

Therefore, in aid of the due execution of said proclamation, Lieutenant Colonel George S. James, Third Battalion Infantry South Carolina Volunteers, under direction of Brigadier General N. G. Evans, commanding Third Military District, is appointed provost-marshal of that portion of country in the Third Military District of South Carolina over which martial law is extended, and he is charged with the due execution of the said proclamation. He will forthwith establish an efficient military police, and will enforce the following orders:

All distillation of spirituous liquors is positively prohibited and the distilleries will forthwith be closed. The sale of spirituous liquors of any kind is also prohibited and establishments for the sale thereof will be closed.

II. All persons infringing the above prohibition will suffer such punishment as shall be ordered by the sentence of a court-martial, provided that no sentence to hard labor for more than one month shall be inflicted by the sentence of a regimental court-martial, as directed by the 67th article of war.

J. C. PEMBERTON,

Major-General, Commanding.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA, Charleston, May 18, 1862.

Brigadier-General RIPLEY,
Commanding Second Military District:

GENERAL: I am instructed by Major-General Pemberton to inform you that you can get as much iron as you require for the defense of Charleston upon requisition on Captain F. L. Childs, commanding arsenal.

J. R. WADDY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS, Richmond, Va., May 19, 1862.

Major General J. C. PEMBERTON,

Commanding Department, &c., Charleston:

GENERAL: Deducting from your return of troops for the month of March the four regiments sent West and Gregg's brigade and Orr's regiment sent to Virginia, it appears that your present effective strength is about 25,000 or 26,000 men. Starke's Virginia and the two North Carolina regiments, which were first withdrawn, are not deducted, because their places were supplies by the three new Georgia regiments ordered to report to you. Your whole effective force, as far as my information tends, must be about double the available force of the enemy. Please inform me whether you have any reliable information of the strength of the enemy, and whether you think at this late season of the