under the provisions of Circular No. 69, Conscript Office, current series. Circular No. 69, Conscript Office, current series, is in full force.

County. Slaves.

This requisition will be apportioned ratably among all the slaveholders in your county, so as to charge each slave-holder with the same proportion of his male slaves between the ages specified capable of permorning ordinary labor, but in no case will this requisition take more than one out of five male slaves between the ages specified from any one person. Care should be taken that the slave impressed is able-bodied. These slaves must be collected and forwarded with the utmost possible expedition.

You will cause the advisory board of your county to use extraordinary diligence in the collection of these negroes, and forwarding them to Captain W. H. Fry, adjutant of the post, at Camp Lee, with full descriptive list, giving the name of owner. Receipt should be taken in each case. It is suggested that the commissioners' books be taken as a guide.

By order of Lieut. Colonel J. C. Shields:

- -,

Lieutenant and Adjutant.

[Sub-inclosure No. 3.]

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA,

WAR DEPARTMENT, BUREAU OF CONSCRIPTION,

Richmond, Va., December 16, 1864.

Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War:

SIR: The following resolution of the House of Representatives has been referred to this Bureau for attention. *

The Bureau is not inb possession of the information demanded by this resolution.

Only two impressments of slaves have been made by the direction of this Bureau.

This first was under your instructions of the 21st of September, ultimo, for 5,000 slaves from the State of Virginia, for service with the Army of Northern Virginia, for thirty days. The following direction was given to the commandant of conscripts for Virginia, by the Bureau, for the execution of your order:

SEPTEMBER 21.

Respectfully referred to Lieutenant-Colonel Shields, to take immediate steps for compliance with the within order of the Secretary of War. The urgency of the matter, as represented by General Lee, should cause the utmost promptitude.

Return this paper for the files of this office.

The second was under your instruction of the 24th of September, ultimo, to procure negroes under the act of Congress of February 17, 1864, authorizing the employment of free negroes and slaves in certain capacities, to increase the efficiency of the Army. In communicating

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* Embodied in Harrison to Secretary of War, p. 996.

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