GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. FOURTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, Numbers 20.
Nashville, Tenn., November 19, 1862.

It having come to the notice of the general commanding that arrests of citizens are carelessly made upon insufficient grounds and proof and without taking the necessary pains to inquire into the character of the informants or the truth of the allegations, and as great injustice is thereby done in individual cases and much suffering frequently occasioned to innocent persons, the following regulations are established and will hereafter be strictly enforced:

I. All provost-marshals or officers acting in that capacity will report to the provost-marshal-general immediately after receiving a prisoner in custody and also semi-weekly the names, age, residence and offenses charged against all prisoners arrested or held in custody by them, together with the names and residences of their accusers and of the witnesses against them, and the names of the officers who ordered and of those who made the arrests.

II. In order to comply with this regulation provost-marshals are in all cases on receiving a prisoner to exact the above information from those who turn them over for custody, and unless charges are furnished or they themselves are prepared to furnish them to prisoners must be released within three days.

By command of Major-General Rosecrans:

JULIUS P. GARESCHE,

Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., November 20, 1862.

Colonel W. E. DOSTER, Provost-Marshal.

COLONEL: The Secretary of War has directed that no prisoners of war, civil or military, should be released without his authority. Please inform me if you have any orders which conflict with the above. If you have will you furnish me with a copy?

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, November 20, 1862.

ROBERT OULD, Esq., Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

SIR: I send to you to day 107 prisoners of war. I am informed that you have some 400 or 500 ready for delivery at City Point and the officer in charge of those sent is instructed to bring them down. I accept your proposition,* which is hereto annexed, and orders have been issued and are now being executed to send all the prisoners at the West belonging to irregular organizations to Vicksburg for delivery to your agent there.

Please send all the prisoners of war and political prisoners you have at or near Richmond, including Major Jordan, whose detention I have already brought to your notice. Permit me here as I have before to

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*Not found.

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