Kinghts of the Golden Circle is regarded as a traitorous and dangerous one and your action in relation thereto is highly approved.

By order of the Secretary of War:

L. C. TURNER,

Judge-Advocate.

HEADQUARTERS, Camp Chase, September 27, 1862.

Colonel HOFFMAN.

COLONEL: I have respectfully to inform you that by orders from the adjutant-general of Ohio I assumed command of this post, succeeding Colonel Allison yesterday, the 26th instant, the colonel's term of service having expired and he mustered out of the service. My attention, colonel, has been called to your orders of the dates of September 16, 19, 20, 22 and 25, which are hereby acknowledged and their contents noted, and your orders will receive the promptest attention possible.

Doctor Leyston is on parole to limits of camp and rendering professional services to prisoners as ordered. We have 160 prisoners of war or more to send to Cairo for exchange, and some fifty or more prisoners of war not belonging to the Confederate Army to go to the Sandusky depot, but up to the present have not been able to get transportation either way. Have released some fourteen prisoners on their oath under your orders. Judge Hitchcock has been absent for some days and has not as yet notified me that he has acted upon the cases of any prisoners. Your paper of the 25th, colonel, I will reply to separately from this, and at as early a time as I can possibly give it the attention it requires.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
PETER ZINN,

Major Governor's Guards, Commanding Post.

HEADQUARTERS FIFTH DIVISION,

Memphis, September 28, 1862.

Major General T. C. HINDMAN,

Commanding Confederate Forces, Little Rock, Ark.

SIR: I have just received your two letters* of September 24 and 26 at the hands of Captain Chew, of your staff. Of course, being simply the commander of the U. S. forces here, I have no official knowledge of anything that transpired on White River last summer. I will refer that letter to General Curtis, now in Saint Louis. Nor have I any knowledge of the affair of Samuel Berry, a citizen of Crittenden County, nor do I believe one word of it. Certainly the men of my command never do such acts as you describe. As to Lieutenant Tolleson, he was in the Irvin Block here, but escaped last week through the negligence of the guard. Had he remained he would have been tried, and if convicted of murder his sentence after approval by the President of the United States would surely have been executed. So jealous is our Government of life that no general of whatever rank can inflict the punishment of death except by sentence of a general court-martial, and that must be approved by the President of the United States. You know the laws of Congress as well as I do.

Now whether the guerrillas or partisan rangers without uniform, without organization except on paper, wandering about the country

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*Not found.

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