GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, Numbers 23.
Saint Louis, Mo., December 1, 1862.

* * * * *

VII. Officers of the provost-marshal's department during the existence of civil war are especially intrusted with the peace and quiet of their respective districts, counties and sections, and to this end may cause the arrest and confinement of disloyal persons, subject to the instructions and orders of the department. They will have charge of all prisoners taken the enemy; the keeping of the records as far as possible of the prisoners taken by the enemy, that the proper data for an exchange may be at any time obtained; the arrest and return or imprisonment of deserters, and in general all duties relating to prisoners of war or state.

VIII. Before any assistant provost-marshal or the commander of any troops or post shall send any prisoners to the provost-marshal-general at these headquarters or to district provost-marshals he shall make a list of such prisoners, stating when and where and by whom captured (and if prisoners of war the rank, regiment and company to which they belong), and also the charge against each prisoner, with the substance of the evidence against each, which statement and evidence must be sent with the prisoners. And where persons arrested by assistant provost-marshals are sent to the provost-marshal-general or to district provost-marshals the witnesses against them must be first examined, their residence stated and their testimony written down and sworn to and sent along with the prisoners. Assistant provost-marshals and commanders should dispose of prisoners not charged with serious offenses without sending them to Saint Louis, and they must be careful not to send prisoners unless there is some evidence to warrant imprisonment.

IX. Prisoners of war are entitled to be exchanged as soon as practicable, and all officers holding or capturing such prisoners will send them forward at once to these headquarters to the provost-marshal-general, to be exchanged or to be sent to the commissary-general of prisoners as may be ordered.

X. All orders or parts of orders heretofore issued conflicting herewith are rescinded.

By command of Major-General Curtis:

H. Z. CURTIS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, December 2, 1862.

COMMANDING OFFICER, Fort Delaware, Del.:

The Secretary of War directs that you discharge Judge Carmichael from custody. Report receipt of this.

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Resolution adopted by the United States Senate December 3, 1862.

Resolved, That the Secretary of War be requested to furnish to the Senate any information he may possess with reference to the sale into slavery of colored freemen captured or seized by the rebel forces, and to state what steps have been taken to redress this outrage upon human rights.