that route.

The President desires that General McDowell retain the command of the
Department of the Rappahannock and of the forces with which he moves
forward.

By order of the President: EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE B. McCLELLAN, Commanding Army of the Potomac, before
Richmond.

PROCLAMATION REVOKING GENERAL HUNTER'S ORDER OF MILITARY EMANCIPATION,

MAY 19, 1862.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

A Proclamation

Whereas there appears in the public prints what purports to be a
proclamation of Major general Hunter, in the words and figures following,
to wit:

(General Orders No. 11) HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, HILTON HEAD,
PORT ROYAL, S. C., May 9, 1862.

"The three States of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, comprising the
military department of the South, having deliberately declared themselves
no longer under the protection of the United States of America, and
having taken up arms against the said United States, it became a military
necessity to declare martial law. This was accordingly done on the
25th day of April, 1862. Slavery and martial law in a free country are
altogether incompatible. The persons in these three States: Georgia
Florida, and South Carolina--heretofore held as slaves are therefore
declared forever free.

"By command of Major-General D. Hunter: "(Official.)ED. W. SMITH, "Acting
Assistant Adjutant-General."

And whereas the same is producing some excitement and misunderstanding:
therefore,

I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, proclaim and declare
that the Government of the United States, had no knowledge, information,
or belief of an intention on the part of General Hunter to issue such a
proclamation; nor has it yet any authentic information that the document
is genuine. And further, that neither General Hunter nor any other
commander or person has been authorized by the Government of the United
States to make a proclamation declaring the slaves of any State free; and
that the supposed proclamation now in question, whether genuine or false,
is altogether void so far as respects such a declaration.

I further make known that whether it be competent for me, as
commander-in-chief of the army and navy, to declare the slaves of any
State or States free, and whether, at any time, in any case, it shall have
become a necessity indispensable to the maintenance of the government to
exercise such supposed