GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE EAST, No. 80.
New York City, October 28, 1864.

Satisfactory information has been received by the major-general commanding that rebel agents in Canada design to sen dint the United States and colonize at different points large numbers of refugees, deserters, and enemies of the Government, with a view to vote at the approaching Presidential election; and it is not unlikely, when this service to the rebel cause has been performed, that they may be organized for the purpose of shooting down peaceable citizens and plundering private property, as in the recent predatory incursions on the Detroit Rive and at Saint Albans. Against these meditated outrages on the purity of the elective franchise, and these nefarious acts of robbery, incendiarism, and murder, it is the determination of the major-general commanding to guard by every possible precaution, and to visit on the perpetrators, if they shall be detected,t he most signal and summary punishment. All the classes of persons above enumerated, whether citizens of the insurgent States, or men drafted, or subject to draft, who have fled to evade their duty to their country, are liable to punishment for the crimes they have already committed, and no effort will be spared to arret them. Fort this purpose, all provost-marshals and their deputies within this department are commanded to exercise all possible vigilance, and to adopt such measures as may be necessary to detect persons coming into the United States for the purpose of voting or committing depredations on private property, and to prevent their escape; and it is earnestly recommended to the electors of the States in this department to take, within their respective election district, such measures as may be required for their own security, and to aid the military authorities in frustrating the designs of rebel against and emissaries, or in bringing the perpetrators to punishment. Should any of these malefactors succeed in perpetration their crimes, effective measures will be taken to prevent their return to Canada; and for this purpose special directions will be given, and suitable guard for the frontier will be provided, before the day of election.

As a further precaution, all persons from the insurgent States now within the department, or who may come within it on or before the 3rd of November proximo, are hereby required to report themselves for registry on or before that day, and all such persons coming within the department after that day will report immediately on their arrival. Those who fail to comply with this requirement will be regarded as spies or emissaries of the insurgent authorities at Richmond, and will be treated accordingly. The registry in this city will be at the headquarters of Major General john J. Peck, second in command in the department, at No. 37 Bleecker street; and in all other places out of the city at the offices of the nearest provost-marshals. The registry will contain a complete description of the persons reporting, and also their places of residence, which must not be changed without notice at the places of registry. By command of Major-General Dix:

D. T. VAN BUREN,

Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.