C. T. Christensen to Matthews, September 8, 1864

Colonel MATTHEWS, Sturgeon, Mo.:

You can make the exchanges you speak of, in this way and no other: If the guerrillas will unconditionally release the prisoner you can pledge your honor that the guerrilla you hold shall be turned loose and allowed a certain length of time to get out of the way. But nothing whatever can be put in writing in connection with the matter of the exchange, as it would be grounds for the rebels to claim that we had recognized guerrillas and partisans and outlaws as prisoners of war. Any arrangement must rest upon your verbal word of honor.

O. D. GREENE, Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff.

CAMP ON DRY CREEK, September 8, 1864. Maj. 8. S. CURTIS:

Trains are passing through from Leavenworth from Kearny to Denver and Salt Lake. Escorts are not needed. Have explored up Beaver and Republican to a point on Cottonwood. No buffalo about here, and very few Indians. Am moving eastward.

8S. hk. CURTIS, Major-General.

Cnar, LIL.) CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.—UNION.

Washington, September 9, 1864—10.30 a. m. Lieutenant-General GRANT City Point, Va.:

Sherman consents to Smith going west, and he has halted at Cairo. I have directed him to prepare his command for immediate operations, and to telegraph what line he proposes to operate on. The question seems to be between his landing at Cape Girardeau and returning to join Mower on the White River. Please signify your wishes on this

point. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Siaff.

City Point, V. A., September 9, 1864—12 m. Major-General HALLECK, Chief of Staff:

I do not know enough of Price’s strength and position to say positively what course A. J. Smith should pursue. As a rule, it is generally advisable to keep troops together to insure full effect, but if Price is now moving north it would be advisable that Smith should head and hold him until the troops in the rear can get up. It probably will be best to give A. J. Smith the problem of catching Price and let him work it out in his own way.

GENERAL ORDERS, ! Hpqrs. Miu. Div. oF WEST MISSISSIPPI, No. 46. New Orleans, La., September 9, 1864.

The following act of Congress, being an extract from War Department General Orders, No. 231, dated Adjutant-General’s Office, Washington, July 18, 1864, is hereby published for general information:

I. I. Pusiic.—No. 184. AN ACT to provide for the more speedy punishment of guerrilla marauders, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the provisions of the twenty-first section of an act entitled “‘An act for enrolling and calling out the national forces, and for other purposes,” approved 3d March, 1863, shall apply as well to the sentences of military commissions as to those of courts-martial, and hereafter the commanding general in the field, or the commander of the department, as the case may be, shall have power to carry into execution all sentences against guerrilla marauders for robbery, arson, burglary, rape, assault with intent to commit rape, and for violations of the laws and customs of war, a8 well as sentences against spies, mutineers, deserters, and murderers.

Sto. 2. And be it further enacted, That every officer authorized to order a general court-martial shall have power to pardon or mitigate any punishment ordered by such court, including that of confinement in the penitentiary, except the sentence of death or of cashiering or dismissing an officer, which sentences it shall be competent, during the continuance of the present rebellion, for the general commanding the army in the field, or the department commander, as the case may be, to remit or mitigate; and the fifth section of the act approved July 17, 1862, chapter 201, be, and the same is hereby, repealed, so far as it relates to sentences of imprisonment in the penitentiary.

Src. 3. And be it further enacted, That when a soldier sick in hospital shall have been discharged or shall be discharged from the military service, but shall be unable to leave or avail himself of his discharge, in consequence of sickness or wounds, and shall subsequently die in such hospital, he shall be deemed to have died in the military service, so far as relates to bounties.

Approved July 2, 1864.

By order of the Secretary of War: E. D. TOWNSEND,