^. Duke University Libraries 003209799$ ■> .^. -^.i^c/ • MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT. m Richmond, Va., March 25, 1863. To the House of Jl/>prescntatives : I herewith transmit a communication from the Secretary of War, in response to your resolution of the 21st ult., enquiring whether official notice has been given to the proper officers of the provisions of '* an act to protect the rights of owners of slaves taken by or em- ployed in the army." JEFFERSON DAVIS. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Duke University Libraries / http://www.archive.org/details/communicationfro26conf COMMUNICATION FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR. Confederate States of America, ^ War Department, > Richmond, Va., March 25, 1863. ) His Excellency, The President : Sir : In response to a resolution of the House of Representatives, adopted on the 21st ult., 1 have the honor to enclose a copy of the orders published by this department in pursuance of the act of Con- gress " to protect the rights of owners of slaves taken by or employed in the army." , Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, JAMES A. SEDDON, Secretary of War. Adjl'tant and Inspkctor Gkneral's Office, Richmond March 6, 1SG3. GENERAL ORDERS, ) No. 25. J I. The follovring Act of Congress and Regulations to enforce the eame, are published for the information of all persons concerned: Chat lxii. — uin act to protect the Bights of Oivncrs of Slaves taken by or employed in the army. The Congress of the Confederate States of Ainerica do enact, That every person connected with the army or navy of the Confederate States, arresting or coming into possession of any slave, by capture from the enemy, or otherwise than by lawful authority, shall imme- diately report the same to the commanding officer of the post or brigade or station^to which he may be attached. The said command- ing officer shall, with as little delay as practicable, send the slaves so reported to the nearest depot described in the next section, with a regist(?r of the place and date of their arrest: Provided, however, That the said slaves, or any of them, may at once be delivered to their res})ective owners, if claim is made and established on satisfactory evidence. Sec, 2. The Secretary of War shall establish depots for recaptured slaves, at convenient places, not more than five in number, in each State ; and all slaves captured in such State shall be kept in such .depots. Public notice shall be given of the places so selected. Sec. 3. Lists of the slaves in each of such depots, showing the name and color of such slaves, the place and time of iheir arrest, and the names of their owners, as given by themselves, or otherwise ascer- tained, shall be regularly advertised in each State, in one or moro newspapers of general circulation. Sf.c. 4. While such slaves are in depot, they may, be employed, uiider proper guard, on public works; but no slave shall be removed from the depot to which he is first carried, for at least one month after the first advertisement of his being there, nor then, unless an exact legister is made, of the removal, and due advertisement made in the newspapers as aforesaid. Sec 5. Free access shall* be permitted to all persons desiring to inspect the said slaves for the purpose of identifying them and es- tablishing ownership; and upon due proof, they shall be immediately restored to the persons claiming them. Sec. 6. It shall further be the duty of the Secretary of War to re- quire the names of all slaves in the employment of an officer or sol- dier of the Confederate army or navy, with the names and residence of their owners, and of the person by whom hired out, and of the officer or soldier hiring, to be reported to his department, and a full register thereof to be kept for public inspection. Sec. 7. The President shall prescribe regulations for carrying this act into effect, and provide for the subsistence of said slaves while in such depots, [Aproved October 13, 1862.] II. Depots for recaptured slaves are hereby established at the fol- lowing places, viz : At the Camp of Instruction at Richmond, in the State of Virginia. Petersburg, '" " Dublin Station, " Raleigh, *' N. Carolina. Columbia, " S. Carolina. Macon, " Georgia. Decatur, '' " Notasulga, " Alabama. Talladega, " " Tallahassee, " Florida. Brookhaven, " Mississippi. Enterprize, " " Monroe, " Louisiana. Camp Moore, " " New Iberia, " "■ Houston, ** Texas, Knoxville, " Tennessee. McMinnsville, " " Little Rock, *' Arkansas. III. The commandants of the several camps of instruction will provide necessary quarters for all negroes sent to the depots ; will detail sufficient guards for their safe-keeping; provide for their cus- tody, craployment*and subsistence; require full and accurate registers to be kept, and advertisements, as prescribed by the act of Congress, to be regularly made, and afford all fiicilities to claimants to establish their ownership, and on due proof, surrender the slaves to their owners'. IV. Commanding generals will require all persons connected with the army to make immediate report of all slaves arrested or coming into, their possession; and if claim is not promptly made and es- tablished by the owner, will send such slaves, with a register of the place and date of their arrest, with as little delay as practicable, to the nearest depot in the 'State wherein the capture is made. They will also require all officers and soldiers, now employing slaves, forthwith to report the same, and those hereafter employing them, within ten days thereafter, with the names and residence of their owners, and of the person by whom they were hired out, and of the officer or soldier hiring, and return such reports as soon as received, to this office ; and will, in all other respects, enforce from the officers and men under their command a strict and prompt observance of the requirements of the above recited act of Congress. ]}y order. S. COOPER, Adjutant arid Inspector General. ■^ r^.c Of> penm&life* pH8.5