wives and children of hundreds of men who, under (as we think) a misguided belief that we are enemies and invaders, are in arms against us. For my part I am unwilling longer to protect the families and property of men who fire from ambush upon our soldiers whether on the river-banks or the roadside, and I shall gradually compel such families to go forth and seek their husbands and brothers. I will permit them to carry away their household goods and servants, thereby reducing to that extent the necessity for providing for them at our markets. You may style this cruel and barbarous, but I know my heart and have no hesitation in saying to the Southern men, women or children, I will give all the help and assistance I can; that I respect their maternal and legal rights as much as you do, but I will also respect the lives and rights of others who pursue a lawful and common right to navigate the Mississippi River, which is not yours.

We are willing to meet you anywhere and everywhere in manly fight, but to the assassin who fires from the river-bank on an unarmed boat we will not accord the title, name or consideration of an honorable soldier. You may carry word to your guerrillas or rangers that when they fire on any boat they are firing on their Southern people, for such travel on every boat, and if that does no influence them you may trust to our ingenuity to devise a remedy; for every grade of offense there is a remedy. We profess to know what civilized warfare is and has been for hundreds of years and cannot accept your construction of it. If, as you threaten in your letter, you hang an officer, a prisoner in your hands, in retaliation of some act of ours, conjured up by false statements of interested parties, remember that we have hundreds of thousands of men bitter and yearning for revenge. Let us but loose these from the restraints of discipline and no life or property would be safe in the regions where we do hold possession and power. You initiate the game, and my word for it you people will regret it long after you pass from the earth. We are willing to restrict our operations as far as may be to the acts of war controlled by educated and responsible officers, but if you or those who acknowledge your power think otherwise we must accept the issue. My command as you know does not embrace Arkansas, but I will not allow the firing on the boats from the Arkansas shore to go unnoticed.

I am, with great respect, you obedient servant,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, Commanding.

WHEELING, VA., October 17, [1862.]

Honorable REUBEN HITCHCOCK, Special Commissioner.

SIR: Governor Peirpoint requests me in his name earnestly to protest against the release of any prisoner sent from here without his direct recommendation or through me. Whenever this section of country is in a more settled condition he proposes to take up the cases of several prisoners for examination, &c.

We would not forward prisoners to Camp Chase except for the reason that we have no accommodations for a large number. From your former letters I feel satisfied that the Governor's wishes in this matter will receive at your hands all the consideration he can ask.

Very respectfully,

JOS. DARR, JR.,

Major and Provost-Marshal-General.