persons admitted and the reasons for their admittance will be forwarded to the provost-marshal-general of this department without delay.

III. To insure protection and prompt payment to colored persons employed in the engineer department or as laborers, they will be organized and mustered into service by detachments or companies, as infantry, and then assigned to duty. Applicats for commissions in these organizations will be examined, and, if qualified, appointed and commissioned pursuant to instructions from the War Department.

IV. In the absence of civil law commanders of troops will exert their authority to prevent injustice and disorders, whether coming from masters of their servants, requiring each to perform their legal duties, wherever intervention is practicable and demanded by justice and humanity.

By command of Major-General Rosecrans:

J. BATES DICKSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

OFFICE ACTG. ASST. PROV. March General FOR ILLINOIS,

Springfield, July 23, 1863.

Colonel JAMES B. FRY,

Provost-Marshal-General, Washington, D. C.:

COLONEL: I have the honor to state that about 4 p. m. yesterday, 22nd instant, I received a dispatch from W. B. Archer, commissioner of Board of Enrollment, Eleventh District, a copy of which is inclosed, marked A. About 10 p. m. I received a second dispatch, copy inclosed, marked B.

At noon to-day (23rd) Mr. Archer arrived by way of Saint Louis, bringing with him the papers and records of the provost-marshal's office at Olney. From his statements the disturbance appears to have been more serious than was indicated by his dispatches. The office at Olney is broken up for the present, and the work of consolidation and preparation for the draft entirely suspended. The records will not be safe at Olney till the armed band of desperadoes, several hundred in number, can be dispersed. All that can be done with the limited means at our disposal to quell the disturbance and reinstate the officers at Olney will be done at once by General Ammen, commanding District of Illinois, and myself.

Will report in full in a day or two.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES OAKES,

Lieutenant Colonel Fourth U. S. Cav., A. A. P. M. G. of Illinois.

[Inclosures.]

A.

OLNEY, ILL., July 22, 1863.

Colonel OAKES,

Acting Assistant Provost-Marshal-General for Illinois:

A body of 200 to 500 men came within half a mile of our town last night to destroy enrollments. The papers were all secured and the raid stopped for a time. Rumors came in frequently of further danger. Captain O"Kean gone to Franklin. We send messenger by train to-day.

H. STUDER,

Assistant Provost-Marshal.