May 24, 1862
Headquarters Mountain Department, Wheeling, Va. April 30, 1862.
Circular:
The following instructions from the General commanding are transmitted for your government in the cases specified:
1. Prisoners will not be surrendered to the United States Marshal until they are indicted.
2. When the Major General Commanding is in the field, and it is not convenient to communicate with him on urgent cases, they shall be referred to the Department, Judge Advocate Major R. M. Corwide, for his opinion and direction.
3. Persons who are charged with disloyalty, and sent to prison by order of any [ commandmanding ] officer of a Division. Brigade, Regiment or Post, shall be sent to Camp Chase to await the order of the Secretary of War.
4. Persons arrested, who are charged with having served under the rebel Government, whether in the military, judicial, executive or legislative departments, will not be discharged, but will at once be committed to Camp Chase, with a statement embodying a history of their case, there to await the order of the War Department.
5. All persons taken with arms in their hands, who shall have been actually engaged as guerrillas at the time of their capture, shall be tried by military commission, at the headquarters of the nearest brigade commander, and the proceedings in each case submitted for final decision to the General Commanding the Department.
6. The arrest of all persons will be promptly reported to Major Jos. Darr, Jr., Provost Marshal General, Headquarters Wheelling, Va., and particular care will be taken, whenever practicable, to forward, with a descriptive list of the prisoners, complete and sworn evidence against them. Prisoners will in no instance be sent out of this Department without a report to the Provost Marshal General.
By order
Major-Gen. Fremont.
H. E. Twall, Asst. Adj't Gen.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: April 1862