you a reply in writing whether you can furnish me the guard called for and needed.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. SANGSTER,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Paroled Prisoners.

Inclosure Numbers 11.] SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS PAROLED PRISONERS, Numbers 84.
Near Annapolis, Md., October 30, 1862.

* * * * *

VI. The commanding officer is compelled to call the attention of battalion commanders to General Orders, Numbers 14, paragraph II, and direct that until further orders that portion ordering a battalion assembly each day at 5 p. m. is revoked, and hereafter there will be two roll calls daily; one at 7 a. m., the other at 5. 30 p. m., which will be superintended by a commissioned officer or reliable non-commissioned officer. There will be a battalion formation at 4 o'clock every p. m. for the purpose of reading orders.

The rolls of each company will be called in their respective streets, superintended by a commissioned officer, if any; if not them by the senior non-commissioned officer. The absentees will be noted and will be reported on the morning report of the next day as absent without authority and no rations shall be drawn or issued to them.

Commanders of companies will be held strictly responsible for the execution of this order, and if any soldier who has absented himself from the said roll-calls without the proper authority shall by neglect or otherwise receive his rations for the duty immediately succeeding his absence the company commander shall be subject to a court-martial if a commissioned officer, and if a non-commissioned officer have the money value of the rations deducted from his pay.

Commissioned officers absent from these formations without sufficient cause will be reported to headquarters Eighth Army Corps for disobedience of orders.

This order will be read at each battalion assembly for one week.

By order of George Sangster, lieutenant-colonel:

A. P. SCHURTZ,

[Acting] Adjutant.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 8, 1862.

Honorable H. HAMLIN, President of the Senate.

SIR: In answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 3rd instant requesting to be furnished with any information which may be in the possession of this Department "with reference to the sale into slavery of colored freemen captured or seized by the rebel forces," and asking "what steps have been taken to redress this outrage upon human rights," I have the honor to state that no information, official or otherwise, pertaining to the matter mentioned in the first branch of the resolution has been received by this Department, and that no action has therefore been taken by it upon the subject.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.