The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-08-27
WASHINGTON.
Instructors to General Mea1e ard
b uass General Thomas.

WAsHINeToNF August 26-In-l
struotio1fs as follows have been sent
to Major General George NJ. Meade,
commanding the Department Of the
South at Atlanta, Major General
George III. Thomas, COMMANDING the
Department of the Cumberland, at
Loaisville, KY, and to Brevet Major
Geueral r. g. Buchanan, command
ing the Department of Louisiana, at
New Orleans: (The letter to General
Buchanan was published some days
ago) .s.1&iiua laA eGEItall
M fr HEADQUARTERS ARMY, !
81 ADJUTANT GENERALS OFFICE,
4 WAsHINGToN, August D, 1863
To Major General George AE. Meade, Us. l.,
CoUnaandiags DeparbHelN ~ tfdek South,
GENERAL: In reply to your re-
Guest for instructions relative to the
use of the troops under your COM
mand in aid fsthe. oiyh authorities,
the Secretary OF War directs to Be
furnished for your information and
government the enclosed copy of let
ters iRstrpetlpns8 to BgeTet AaiqE
General Buchanan, commanding De-
paftment of Louisiana, dated August
18th. 1868, and of letter from the
Attorney ,xl3eneral of the eUuited
States to Alexander Magruder. Esq
United States Marshal of the North
ern District of Florida, dated August
20, 1868. a.l z-L5ryg-tvs
dictates the conditions under which
the military force Of the United
States may be employed TO suppress
| resurrection against the governme Mt
of any State, and prescrJbcs the duties
lofl the Department Commander in
| reference theretO - i~5 ti5
j. The letter of the ,AtieIney General
sets forth the conditions under which
the Marshals and Sheriffs may com
| mand the assistance of troops IN their
| respective districts or counties to exc
cute lawful precepts issued to them
| by competent authority. y @ q 30
J. The obligation OF military -iBdfvld-
ual officers and soldiers in command,
| with all eitizenss to obw5the summo rs
! of a Mars hal or Sheriff, must be held
subordinate to paramount duty as
members of . perma uent smhEtary
body, since the troops can act only
1 in their own proper organized ca
pacity, under their own officers, and
! IN obedience to the immediate orders
/ of those officers. The officers com
/ manding troops summoned to the aid
of a Marshal or Sheriff, must, also
Judge for himseif, and upon his owt
/ official esponsibility, whether thC
service required is lawful and neees-
sary and compatible. with the propel
4 discharge Of his ordinary military
duties, and must limit his action ab
1 solutely to proper aid in the exeeu
ton of a lawful preoept, exhibited Il
him by the Marshal or Sheriff.
If time will permit every demand
from civil officer for military aid
i whether for the execution of a civI
process or to suppress insurrection
/ should be forwarded to the Preslden
with all the material facts. of the ca s
for his orders, and in all cases tn,
highest commander whose orders car
1 be giveu-in time. 10 meet the emer
geDcy, will alone assume the respop
sibihty of action, by timely diSp0sl
ton of troops where there is reasoi
to apprehend a necessity for their use
by this passive interpesition betweei
hostile parties, danger of eellisiol
< may be avoided
fbepartment commanders 3 and Il
cases OF Necessity tuGiF SuDOFO1uateS
are expected-in this regard 20 -cxer
else, on their own responsibilisySs
wise discretion to the eud that in an
end peace may be press sTvcf II .8s
BY command OF General Grant.
} 49, 0EIhTtuJ. E,a akELF0N. Z ~
: $3.50 Assistant ,AdjQtant General.
ii [CoPY,l -, sss..--e..7
ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,
$40 Angus. 20, 1865
AIer. Aagrader, Rsq. q. 81. 1farsA7l, 10 ~
en- District Of s'fOiztt7, So a sYttsti..e f;or
Is SIR-Youra letter of theA12th inst
reached me. yesterday, anes has re
/ ceIved attentive consideration. 20
Sprague's information to you mus
have been based on his. own construc
Z. ton of General Meade order
7 lately issued. and not upon. an
4 special instructions from - tn
u PRESIDENT to Colonel Sprague
I: Through General Meade oreotherwist
asc no such special instructions hav
q been issued by the President. Yo
Sd add Under some circumstances
Vt should be gfad to have the aid of th
g military, and, If practicable would \
g pleased to have lhstr ae eio ne o; s,sen I
y the military to aid me w hen neeeesar,
al L ask this, as Colonel Spraeue-infco,,~-,,,
u me that under his instructions H. u
10 not do Sd. This desire or reona no -
t. for the aid of the military under &c
ID tain circumstances, L understand
refer to the occasional necessity tn