such officer will take possession of all the public buildings belonging to the State of Tennessee and hold them in your charge and under your control for the public purposes for which they were designed or in which you may have occasion to employ them.

Second. You will appropriate such of the buildings to the civil offices, executive, legislative, and judicial, as may be required for the performance of their respective functions, employing such force of military or civil police as you may deem necessary for the security and proper care of such buildings and all other public property in the city of Nashville.

Third. All the public commons and public property in the city of Nashville and elsewhere in the State will be in your charge a military governor, and, so far as possible, you will exercise control over them, your authority and jurisdiction over all such public property being as exclusive and absolute as was exercised by the State of Tennessee, subject only to such military occupation and use as may in the course of the war be authorized and directed by the general commanding the department.

Fourth. You will also take possession of and occupy all vacant and abandoned buildings and property within the city of Nashville possessed or owned by persons engaged in the rebellion, and may apply them to such uses as you may deem proper. You will exercise also the same powers throughout the State of Tennessee.

Fifth. You will also take possession of all abandoned lands and plantations that may come within your power, and lease them for occupation and cultivation upon such terms as you deem proper, keeping an account of the products and registering the name of the former proprietor, and the person and terms upon the same to this Department.

Sixth. You will take in charge all abandoned slaves or colored persons who have been held in bondage, and whose masters have been, or are now, engaged in rebellion, and provide for their useful employment and subsistence in such manner as may be best adapted to their necessities and the circumstances in which you find them, having reference to the provisions of the act of Congress relating to this class of persons and being government by their provisions.

Seventh. You will cause all such persons to be enrolled upon a descriptive roll setting forth their names, their sex, their age, with any other remarks that may be useful in defining their capacity for usefulness, or as descriptive of their persons, nd transmit a copy of them to this Department. Such of them as are able-bodied and can be usefully employed upon the fortification for other public works you will so employ, securing and causing to be paid to them reasonable wages for their labor.

Eighth. You will also take measures to secure employment and reasonable compensation for the labor of all others of whatever age or sex, making from time to time report to this Department. such as may be sick or helpless form age or infirmity you will have provided with suitable hospital care and attendance.

Ninth. You will also furnish form the quartermaster's and commissar stores such clothing and subsistence as may be necessary of the decent clothing and support of those who are poor or destitute, keeping a distinct account of all such appropriations.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.