FIRING ON DROWNING MEN.

FLAG STEAMER DINSMORE,

Off Morris Island, August 8, 1862.

SIR: On the night of the 5th, one of the launches designed to guard the right flank of our shore batteries, having been drawn out into the harbor in observation of a rebel steamer, was suddenly attacked by the latter.

Eight of the crew were picked up, and stated that the launch had been sunk. Yesterday a flag of truce came out from the enemy with a communication from General Gilmore.

Captain Green, the senior officer outside, reports to me that the officer informed our boat that the launch had not been sunk, but was captured with Acting-Master Haines and twelve men. This leaves only two men missing. The eight men who were received by our boat were all positive that they were all fired at from the steamer when they were in the water, and as this is in violation of the usages of war, I addressed a communication to General Beauregard on the subject, requiring that whoever should be convicted of the fact should be punished, otherwise I would not be able to prevent retaliation by our men. As yet I have received no an

swer.

Ensign B. H. Porter deserves mention from me for the energy, courage, and intelligence with which he performed the duty assigned him of observing the enemy, and also for picking up the eight men who in some way were lost out of the launch.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN A. DAHLGREN,

Rear-Admiral, commanding S. A. B. Squadron.

Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy,

Washington, D. C.

MURDER OF CAPTIVES IN TENNESSEE, BY

SHOOTING AND DROWNING.

HEADQUARTERS, Department of the CumberLAND,

Chattanooga, Tenn., Jan. 6, 1864.

GENERAL ORDERS, No. 6.-It having been reported to these headquarters that between seven and eight o'clock on the evening of the 23d ult., within one and one-half miles of the village of Mulberry, Lincoln county, Tennessee, a wagon, which had become detached from a foraging train belonging to the United States, was attacked by guerrillas, and the officer in command of the foraging party, First Lieutenant Porter, Company A, TwentySeventh Indiana Volunteers, the teamster, wagon-master, and two other soldiers, who had been sent to load the train (the latter four unarmed), were captured. They were immediately mounted and hurried off, the guerrillas avoiding the roads until their party was halted; about one o'clock in the morning, on the bank of Elk river, where the rebels stated they were going into camp for the night.

The hands of the prisoners were then tied behind them, and they were robbed of everything of value about their persons. They were next drawn up in line, about five paces in front of their captors. One of the latter, who acted as leader, commanded "Ready!" and the whole party immediately fired upon them. One of the prisoners was shot through the head, and killed instantly, and three were wounded. Lieutenant Porter was not hit. He immediately ran, was followed and fired upon three times by one of the party, and finding that he was about to be overtaken, threw himself over a precipice into the river, and, succeeding in getting his hands loose, swam to

the opposite side, and although pursued to that side, and several times fired upon, he, after twenty-four hours of extraordinary exertions and great exposure, reached a house whence he was taken to Tullahoma, where he now lies in a critical situation. The others, after being shot, were immediately thrown into the river; thus the murder of three men, Newell E. Orcutt, Ninth Independent Battery, Ohio Volunteer Artillery, John W. Drought, Company H, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteers, and George W. Jacobs, Company D, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteers, was accomplished by shooting and drowning. The fourth, James W. Foley, Ninth Independent Battery, Ohio Volunteer Artillery, is now lying in hospital, having escaped by getting his hands free while in the water.

For these atrocities and cold-blooded murders, equalling in savage ferocity any ever committed by the most barbarous tribes on the continent, committed by rebel citizens of Tennessee, it is ordered that the property of all other rebel citizens, living within a circuit of ten miles of the place where these men were captured, be assessed, each in his due proportion, according to his wealth, to make up the sum of $30,000, to be divided among the families who were dependent upon the murdered men for support, as follows:

Ten thousand dollars to be paid to the widow of John W. Drought, of North Cape, Racine county, Wisconsin, for the support of herself and two children.

Ten thousand dollars to be paid the widow of George Jacobs, of Delevan, Walworth county, Wisconsin, for the support of herself and one child.

Ten thousand dollars to be divided between the aged mother and sister of Newell E. Orcutt, of Burton, Grange county, Ohio.

Should the persons assessed fail within one week after notice shall have been served upon them, to pay in the amount of their tax, in money, sufficient of their personal property shall be seized, and sold at public auction to make up the amount.

Major-General H. W. Slocum, U. S. Volunteers, commanding Twelfth Army Corps, is charged with the execution of this order.

The men who committed these murders, if caught, will be summarily executed, and any persons executing them will be held guiltless, and will receive the protection of this army; and all persons who are suspected of having aided, abetted, or harbored these guerrillas, will be immediately arrested and tried by military commission. By command of

W. D. WHIPPLE,

Major-General THOMAS.

Assistant Adjutant-General.

ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY INDIANS IN THE REBEL SERVICE.

HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE SOUTH-WEST,

Forsyth, Missouri, April 12th, 1862.

SIR: In compliance with your request, conforming to the wish of the Joint Committee of Congress "to inquire into the fact whether Indian savages have been employed by the rebels in their military service, and how such warfare has been conducted by such savages against the Government of the United States,"

I hereby certify, upon honor, that I was present at the engagement near Leetown, Arkansas, on the 7th of

March ultimo, when the main charge of the enemy's cavalry was made upon our line; that there were Indians among the forces making said charge; and that from personal inspection of the bodies of the men of the Third Iowa Cavalry, who fell upon that part of the field, I discovered that eight of the men of that regiment had been scalped. I also saw bodies of the same men which had been wounded in parts not vital, by bullets, and also pierced through the heart and neck with knives, fully satisfying me that the men had first fallen from the gun-shot wounds received, and afterwards been brutally murdered.

The men of the Third Iowa Cavalry, who were taken prisoners by the enemy, and who have since returned, all state that there were great numbers of Indians with them on the retreat as far as Elm Springs. * * * * Respectfully submitted,

JOHN W. NOBLE,

Regimental Adjutant Third Iowa Cavalry.

Major-General S. R. CURTIS, Commanding.

The following is an official letter from the commanding officer of the Third Iowa regiment in relation to the above:

HEADQUARTERS, THIRD IOWA CAVALRY,

Jacksonport, Arkansas, May 11th, 1862. General: On the morning of the 7th of March, I was on the battle field of Pea Ridge. While my command was engaging the enemy near Leetown, I saw in the rebel army a large number of Indians, estimated by me at one thousand.

After the battle I attended in person to the burial of the dead of my command. Of twenty-five men killed on the field of my regiment, eight were scalped, and the bodies of others were horribly mutilated, being fired