Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-03-24
DEP.nrsrsr OF STATE,


Washington, March ID.
The President directs that all persons wb
now afe. or hereafter shall be found vithi
the United States, who have been engaged II
holding intercourse or trade with the insur
gents by ses, II they are citizens Of the Uni
ted States. or domcied aliens. shall be ar,
rested and held ss prisoners of war until the
war shall close subject, nevertheless, to
prosecution, trial and conviction for any Of
fsnse committed by them as spies, or other
wise, against the laws Of war.
The President further directs that all nom
resident foreigners who now are, or hereafter
shall be found in the United States, and who
have been or shall have been engaged in vio-
lsting the blacksde Of the insurgent ports,
shall leave the United States within twelve
days from the publication OF this order. or
from their subsequent arrival in the United
Ltates If on the Atlantic side, and forty days
il on the Pacific side OF the country and
such persons shall not return to the United
States during the continuance of the war.
Provost Msrshsls and Msrshals Of the
United States will arrest and commit to mill
tary custody all such offenders as shall dis
regard this order whether they have pass
ports or not, and they will be detained in
such custody until the end of the war, or un-
I'll discharged BY subsequent orders OF the
President.
WM. H. SEWARD, Seo'y Of State.
.. BALTIMORE. March IS.
Capt. Mcdonald OF the light ship at
Smiths Point, who was captured nearly
year since by the rebels, has just rsturned
home after long Imprisonment at Salisbury,
N. C. He fully confirms the previous reports
of the horrors Of the rebel prisons. He learnt
from one of the Corpo ais, who had charge Of
the matter, that from the 10Th Of October to
the lst of January, 1915 of our men died,
out Of 0,000 imprisoned there. aaa
WARRINGTON. March Is.
The Provost MaishsI General has issued
circular, in conformitr with the recent pro-
clamation of the President, pardoning desert
ers on certain conditions, instructing all Of
fcers and employees Of his Bureau to give
prompt attention to receiving and forwarding
such deserters as may present themselves.
IN accordance with it's provisions the Sec
retary of War has directed no reward to be
paid for the arrest Of deserters who may be
arrested subsequent to the receipt Of this
order by District Provost Msrshals.
Information from the Army OF the Poto-
troying the Lynchburg Railroad at several
points. inActing severe damage on the canal,
&C., says be is on his way to White House,
and that military officers high in authority
claim this to be the most important raid Of
the war.
la i New YoRK, Mar. 16.
The Herad's Wilmington dispatch of the
l1th says:
Z Oh
place tha, morning. They report that Sher-
man was at Laurel Hill and was marching on
exp scting 10 reach Fayetteville on the night
of the 10th or morning of the llth. Boats
started at once up Cape Fear River to remove
distractions and open communication with
Fayetteville. Sherman met no serious oppo-
sition on mis- march and had fought no battles.
Rebel scouts haze been lowering abou. him
constantly, with division of cavalry on his
rear Dick Taylor has not been seen. Sber-
man crossed the Great Pedee at Cheraw on
the 4th. The town on the South bank was
entrenched but the rebels made a feeble de-
fense. Shermsn's cavalry dashed in on the
run and the rebels dashed out also on the
run. In their fight they left to our men IL
guns in position four more were found on
the north bank. The rebels appeared con-
tent with acting as an escort to Shermsn's
army, trotting along in front, or as If they
had captured his whole army, as they also
had division Of very peaceable cavalry fol-
lowing behind. The army is in most healthy
aud excellent condition. They have lived
quite as sumptuously as on the Georgia march
At first one quarter rations were served, but
the abundance found in the country soon rem
dered this unnecessary, and now only coffee
and sugar are Issued. Everything else is fur
nished by foraging parties.
A communication was sent to Sherman on
the llth by a courier escorted by regiment
of cavalry. This was rendered necessary by
the strong parties of rebel scouts and guer-
rillas. On the approach to Wilmington Sher-
mans couriers narrowly escaped and were
driven to make a detour OF more than 40 miles.
They represent: the people dwelling along
the route as strongly favoring the union and
anxious for the appearance Of the national
army.
The Herald's Fortress Monroe correspond
ent says a raiding party went out from Suf-
folk last Friday to penetrate Virginis as far
as Murfreesboro Station, the terminus Of the
Seaboard and Roanoke railroad, where they
effected considerable damage by destroying
the railroad track, depot, warehouses, cotton,
and much other property They met with
scarcely any resistance.
The Herald prints letter from Sherman to
Wade Hampton, stating that in consequences
of forsging parties having been murdered by
rebels, after being captured, and labels at
tached to their bodies Of death 10 all for
agers," that he has ordered a similar number
OF prisoners in our hands 10 be dispatched in
like manner that he holds one thousand