Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-08-11

WASHINGTON, Aug. s.
The Richmond Dispatch, of Monday, III
4th, says day of retribution is at han
for the outrages which so long have char
acterized the conduct Of the enemy in thei
prosecution Of the war
ADJ 'TANT & INSPECTOR GENERALS OFFICE. !
RICHMOND, August l, 1862.
t~ GENERAL ORDER 54.
First The following orders are publish
ed for the information and Observance O
all concerned:
Whereas, by General Order, dated a2C
Of July, 1862, issued by the Secretary o
War OF the United States, under the or,iel
OF the President Of the United States. 6ht
military commanders of that Governmdn
within the States Of Virginia, South Ca ro
lima, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Missis
sippi, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas or,
directed to seize and use any proper tv,
real or personal, belonging to the inha6i.
tants of the Confederacy, which nav De
necessary or convenient for their several
commands, and no provision is made for
any compensation to the owners of such
private property seized and appropriated
by the military commanders of the enemy.
and, .-..-.
Whereas, by General Order No IL. is
sued on the 23d of July, 1862, by Major
General Pope, commanding the forces of
the enemy in Northern Virginia, it is or
dered that all commanders of any army
corps, divisions, brigades, and detached
commands, will proceed Immediately 10
arrest all disloyal male citizens within
their limits, or within their reach, in the
rear oftheir respective commands. Such as
are willing to take the oath of allegiance
to the United States, and will furnish suf-
iicient security for its observance, shall be
permitted to remain at their homes and
pursue In good faith their accustomed aYO-
cations Those who refuse shall be con-
Quoted south beyond the extreme piekets
Of the army, and be notified that if found
again in the rear they will be considered
as spies, and subjected to the extreme rigor.
Of military law. If any person having
taken the oath as above specified, be found
to have violated it, he shall be shot, and
his property seized and appropriated to.
the public use.
Fourth, Whereas, By an order issued on
the 18th of July, 1862, by Brig. General
A. Steinwehr, Major VIM. Stedman, a cav
airy officer of his brigade, has been order
ed to arrest FIVE of the most prominent
citizens Of Page county, to be held as hos
tages, and to suffer death in the event of
any Of the soldiers of said Steinwehr be-
ing shot by bushwackers, by which term is
meant the citizens Of the COnfederaoy who
have taken up arms to defend their homes
and families = ~ e-ss
Fifth, Whereas, Itresults from the above
Orders that some Of the military authori-
ties of the United States, not content with
the unjust and aggressive warfare hitherto
waged with savage cruelty upon an unof-
Tending people, and exasperated by the' =.
failure to subjugate them, have now de- az
mined to violate all the rules and usS oos-of
war, and to convert the hostilities nitSoTto
waged against armed forces, iy,to q con,
paign Of robbery and murdey. agoinst mn
armed citizens and peaceful tiiiers Of tbe
soil; '''''' > u Inc
Sixth, Whereas, this Government bound
by the highest obligations oF dnt,, 70 ;ts
cltlzehs,,:' . thus driven TO the necessity of
adopting such just measures of retribufion
and retaliation as shall seem adeouate to
repress and punish these barbarities. and
whereas the orders above recited bovaonIv
been published and made known to he
Government since the signature of a cor-
tel Tor the exchange Of prisoners of war,
Which cartel, IN so far as it provides for an
exchange OF prisoners hereafter captured. 4
would never have been signed or agreed to
by the Government if the intention To
change the war intoa system of indiscriu.-
mate murder and robbery had been made
known to it,
And whereas, n just regard to humanity
forbids that the repression of crime which
this Government is thus compelled IN an.
force, should be unnecessarily extended :,
on the enlisted men in tba g.
OF the United States who may be unyv;Ii,
ling instruments Of the savage erueItv of
thelr commander, so long as there il home
mat the excesses Of the enemy NAV he
checked or prevented by retribution o1 the
commissioned officers, who have the power
to avoid guilty action by refusing service
under a Government which seeI,s their
aid, and in the preparation of such infa-
nous barbarities;-
seventh, Therefore it is ordered, that
Major General Pope, Brig. Gen. Steinwehr.
and Oil commissioned officers serTingunder
their respective command, be, and they are
hereby expressly and officially declared to
be not entitled to be considered soldiers,
and therefore not entitled to the right Of
cartel for the parole of future prisoners Of
war.
Ordered further, That in the event of the
capture Of Maj.-Gen. Pope or Brighten.
Steinwehr orany commissioned officer serv-
ing under them, the captive so taken slAlI
be held in close confinement so long As tbe
orders aforesaid shall continue in force and
unrepealed by the competent military an
thority Of the U, States, and dthatin the event
of the murder of any citizen or inbabitap;
of this Confederacy, by virtue or unT u :.
pretext of one Of the orders hereinb< e.so .sI
reeited il shall be the duty of tbs Gor IlOIe
manding General of the forces Of ~. I'm Gnn
federacy to cause oiminediately 10 inns Con-
out OF the commissioned officer n nunE
as aforesaid, number equal - r. IiiSoneL7 L
her Of our own citizens thr mnrJerad rJe npI H.
the enemy. TSisy al 'iiui ueieu "
,I AV JOPER, A. A.G.