William S. Rosecrans to J. P. Garesche, November 19, 1862

No. 20. Nashville, Tenn., November 19, 1862. It having come to the notice of the general commanding that arrests of citizens are carelessly made, upon insufficiert grounds and proof, and

GENERAL ORDERS, Hpgrs. FOURTEENTH ARMY CORPS, 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 into 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 arrest.

I. I. 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, the prisoners must be released within three days.

By command of Major-General Rosecrans :