Col. H. Forno to WM. G. Barth, February 14, 1865

CIRCULAR. HEADQUARTERS MILITARY PRISONS,

Richmond, Va., February 14, 1865.

I. By special agreement between the respective agents of exchange for the Confederate and United States all prisoners held in close confinement are directed to be released from such confinement and placed on the same footing of other prisoners of war.

II. Commandants of prisons are hereby directed to release from confinement all prisoners óf war thus held and forward them without delay to Richmond, Va. If there are no prisoners thus held the fact will be reported in writing immediately on the receipt of this order.

IHI. Commandants of all prisons are directed to have made out rolls of all citizen prisoners, stating name, State, date of arrest, and cause of arrest, and forward without delay through these headquarters for the Bureau of Exchange.

IV. Any information that can be given of Capt. Shad. Harris, of Tennessee, for whom the Federal authorities have particularly asked, will be stated.

By order Brig. Gen. W. M. Gardner:

Assistant Adjutant- General.

COLUMBIA, S. ©., February 14, 1865.

General Holmes telegraphs that he has no guards to give me; recommends Greensborough as location, and can feed prisoners with bread only. I am removing prisoners from Florence to Abbeville. I have enough South Carolina guards, and subsistence is easy there. Columbia prisoners go to Charlotte to-day. ;

Colonel, Commanding.

COLUMBIA, S. ©., February 14, 1865. Brig. Gen. W. M. GARDNER, Richmond, Va. : I have just learned that the enemy are near Kingsville, but shall do my best to remove prisoners. H. FORNO,

Colonel, Commanding. 15 R R—SERIES II, VOL VIII

.

SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRs. PRISONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, No. 32. } Columbia, S. O., February 14, 1865.

I. Capt. Wiliam G. Barth, assistant adjutant-general, will proceed immediately to Abbeville, S. C., to make arrangements for the removal of 5,000 Federal prisoners and their guards to that point. He will select a suitable location for a prison near Cokesbury and make arrangements for the supply of the prisoners on their arrival there. Private William Rogers will accompany Captain Barth. The quartermaster’s department will furnish the transportation.

By order of Col. H. Forno, commanding:

Assistant Adjutant- General.

—

WILMINGTON, February 14, 1865.

General R. E. LEE, Petersburg :

The prisoners should not be stationed here for any length of time.

Major-General.