Boyle to confine arrests to cases where good cause exists. His appointment as general commanding in Kentucky was made on the urgent recommendation of the delegation of that State and was supposed to be satisfactory, and no complaint has been made.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, August 13, 1862.

JOHN A. KENNEDY, Special Provost-Marshal, New York:

Report immediately what officer refuses receipts and what officer has released deserters on parole or promise to return to their regiments. Give the names of the officers and the names of the deserters and a prompt correction will be applied to this abuse.

P. H. WATSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Washington, August 13, 1862.

Major General GEORGE B. McCLELLAN,
Commanding Army of the Potomac.

GENERAL: I have just received from the Adjutant-General's Office your letter of July 30 inclosing a letter from General R. E. Lee of July 21. The letters of General Dix* and Major Wood* will furnish you with the proper information for a reply to General Lee's complaints in regard to the treatment of prisoners at Fort Monroe. The Government of the United States has never authorized any extortion of oaths of allegiance or military paroles and has forbidden any measures to be resorted to tending to that end. Instead of extorting oaths of allegiance and paroles it has refused the applications of several thousand prisoners to be permitted to take them and return to their homes in the rebel States.

At the same time this Government claims and will exercise the right to arrest, imprison or place beyond its military lines any persons suspected of giving aid and information to its enemies or of any other treasonable act; and if persons so arrested voluntarily take the oath of allegiance or give their military parole and afterwards violate their plighted faith they will be punished according to the laws and usages of war. You will assure General Lee that no unseemly threats of retaliation on his part will deter this Government from exercising its lawful rights over both persons and property of whatever name or character.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. HALLECK,

General-in-Chief U. S. Army.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, August 13, 1862.

Major General JOHN A. DIX, Commanding, Fort Monroe.

GENERAL: The general commanding desires that you will receive the prisoners of war sent down on the Ariel and keep them for the

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*Reference is to Dix to Williams, July 28, p. 310, and Wood to Williams, July 23, p. 310.

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