o　call　your　attention　to　certain　things　which　are　viewed　here　somewhat　differently　than　from　your　stand…point。　　I　will　explain　as　briefly　as　possible：
  Some　here　think　that；　in　view　of　the　scarcity　of　labor　in　the　South；　and　the　probability　that　a　part；　at　least；　of　the　able…　bodied　slaves　will　be　called　into　the　military　service　of　the　rebels；　it　is　of　the　greatest　importance　to　open　outlets　by　which　these　slaves　can　escape　into　our　lines；　and　they　say　that　the　route　you　have　passed　over　should　be　made　the　route　of　escape；　and　Savannah　the　great　plane　of　refuge。　　These；　I　know；　are　the　views　of　some　of　the　leading　men　in　the　Administration；　and　they　now　express　dissatisfaction　that　you　did　not　carry　them　out　in　your　great　raid。
  Now　that　you　are　in　possession　of　Savannah；　and　there　can　be　no　further　fears　about　supplies；　would　it　not　be　possible　for　you　to　reopen　these　avenues　of　escape　for　the　negroes；　without　interfering　with　your　military　operations？　Could　not　such　escaped　slaves　find　at　least　a　partial　supply　of　food　in　the　rice…fields　about　Savannah；　and　cotton　plantations　on　the　coast？
  I　merely　throw　out　these　suggestions。　　I　know　that　such　a　course　would　be　approved　by　the　Government；　and　I　believe　that　a　manifestation　on　your　part　of　a　desire　to　bring　the　slaves　within　our　lines　will　do　much　to　silence　your　opponents。　　You　will　appreciate　my　motives　in　writing　this　private　letter。　Yours　truly；
  H。　W。　HALLECK。
  There　is　no　doubt　that　Mr。　Stanton；　when　he　reached　Savannah；　shared　these　thoughts；　but　luckily　the　negroes　themselves　convinced　him　that　he　was　in　error；　and　that　they　understood　their　own　interests　far　better　than　did　the　men　in　Washington；　who　tried　to　make　political　capital　out　of　this　negro　question。　　The　idea　that　such　men　should　have　been　permitted　to　hang　around　Mr。　Lincoln；　to　torture　his　life　by　suspicions　of　the　officers　who　were　toiling　with　the　single　purpose　to　bring　the　war　to　a　successful　end；　and　thereby　to　liberate　all　slaves；　is　a　fair　illustration　of　the　influences　that　poison　a　political　capital。
  My　aim　then　was；　to　whip　the　rebels；　to　humble　their　pride；　to　follow　them　to　their　inmost　recesses；　and　make　them　fear　and　dread　us。　　〃Fear　of　the　Lord　is　the　beginning　of　wisdom。〃　　I　did　not　want　them　to　cast　in　our　teeth　what　General　Hood　had　once　done　in　Atlanta；　that　we　had　to　call　on　their　slaves　to　help　us　to　subdue　them。　　But；　as　regards　kindness　to　the　race；　encouraging　them　to　patience　and　forbearance；　procuring　them　food　and　clothing；　and　providing　them　with　land　whereon　to　labor；　I　assert　that　no　army　ever　did　more　for　that　race　than　the　one　I　commanded　in　Savannah。　When　we　reached　Savannah；　we　were　beset　by　ravenous　State　agents　from　Hilton　Head；　who　enticed　and　carried　away　our　servants；　and　the　corps　of　pioneers　which　we　had　organized；　and　which　had　done　such　excellent　service。　　On　one　occasion；　my　own　aide…de…camp；　Colonel　Audenried；　found　at　least　a　hundred　poor　negroes　shut　up　in　a　house　and　pen；　waiting　for　the　night；　to　be　conveyed　stealthily　to　Hilton　Head。　　They　appealed　to　him　for　protection；　alleging　that　they　had　been　told　that　they　must　be　soldiers；　that　〃Massa　Lincoln〃　wanted　them；　etc。　　I　never　denied　the　slaves　a　full　opportunity　for　voluntary　enlistment；　but　I　did　prohibit　force　to　be　used；　for　I　knew　that　the　State　agents　were　more　influenced　by　the　profit　they　derived　from　the　large　bounties　then　being　paid　than　by　any　love　of　country　or　of　the　colored　race。　　In　the　language　of　Mr。　Frazier；　the　enlistment　of　every　black　man　〃did　not　strengthen　the　army；　but　took　away　one　white　man　from　the　ranks。〃
  During　Mr。　Stanton's　stay　in　Savannah　we　discussed　this　negro　question　very　fully；　he　asked　me　to　draft　an　order　on　the　subject；　in　accordance　with　my　own　views；　that　would　meet　the　pressing　necessities　of　the　case；　and　I　did　so。　　We　went　over　this　order；　No。　15；　of　January　16；　1865；　very　carefully。　　The　secretary　made　some　verbal　modifications；　when　it　was　approved　by　him　in　all　its　details；　I　published　it；　and　it　went　into　operation　at　once。　　It　provided　fully　for　the　enlistment　of　colored　troops；　and　gave　the　freedmen　certain　possessory　rights　to　land；　which　afterward　became　matters　of　judicial　inquiry　and　decision。　　Of　course；　the　military　authorities　at　that　day；　when　war　prevailed；　had　a　perfect　right　to　grant　the　possession　of　any　vacant　land　to　which　they　could　extend　military　protection；　but　we　did　not　undertake　to　give　a　fee…simple　title；　and　all　that　was　designed　by　these　special　field　orders　was　to　make　temporary　provisions　for　the　freedmen　and　their　families　during　the　rest　of　the　war；　or　until　Congress　should　take　action　in　the　premises。　　All　that　I　now　propose　to　assert　is；　that　Mr。　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War；　saw　these　orders　in　the　rough；　and　approved　every　paragraph　thereof；　before　they　were　made　public：
  ＇Special　Field　Orders；　No。　15。＇
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OE　THE　MISSISSIPPI；　IN　THE　FIELD；　NEAR　SAVANNAH；　GEORGIA；　January　16；　1865。
  1。　　The　islands　from　Charleston　south；　the　abandoned　rice…fields　along　the　rivers　for　thirty　miles　back　from　the　sea；　and　the　country　bordering　the　St。　John's　River；　Florida；　are　reserved　and　set　apart　for　the　settlement　of　the　negroes　now　made　free　by　the　acts　of　war　and　the　proclamation　of　the　President　of　the　United　States。
  2。　　At　Beaufort；　Hilton　Head；　Savannab；　Fernandina；　St。　Augustine；　and　Jacksonville；　the　blacks　may　remain　in　their　chosen　or　accustomed　vocations；　but　on　the　islands；　and　in　the　settlements　hereafter　to　be　established；　no　white　person　whatever；　unless　military　officers　and　soldiers　detailed　for　duty；　will　be　permitted　to　reside；　and　the　sole　and　exclusive　management　of　affairs　will　be　left　to　the　freed　people　themselves；　subject　only　to　the　United　States　military　authority；　and　the　acts　of　Congress。　　By　the　laws　of　war；　and　orders　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　the　negro　is　free；　and　must　be　dealt　with　as　such。　　He　cannot　be　subjected　to　conscription；　or　forced　military　service；　save　by　the　written　orders　of　the　highest　military　authority　of　the　department；　under　such　regulations　as　the　President　or　Congress　may　prescribe。　Domestic　servants；　blacksmiths；　carpenters；　and　other　mechanics；　will　be　free　to　select　their　own　work　and　residence；　but　the　young　and　able…bodied　negroes　must　be　encouraged　to　enlist　as　soldiery　in　the　service　of　the　United　States；　to　contribute　their　share　toward　maintaining　their　own　freedom；　and　securing　their　rights　as　citizens　of　the　United　States。
  Negroes　so　enlisted　will　be　organized　into　companies；　battalions；　and　regiments；　under　the　orders　of　the　United　States　military　authorities；　and　will　be　paid；　fed；　and　clothed；　according　to　law。　The　bounties　paid　on　enlistment　may；　with　the　consent　of　the　recruit；　go　to　assist　his　family　and　settlement　in　procuring　agricultural　implements；　seed；　tools；　boots；　clothing；　and　other　articles　necessary　for　their　livelihood。
  8。　　Whenever　three　respectable　negroes；　heads　of　families；　shall　desire　to　settle　on　land；　and　shall　have　selected　for　that　purpose　an　island　or　a　locality　clearly　defined　within　the　limits　above　designated；　the　Inspector　of　Settlements　and　Plantations　will　himself；　or；　by　such　subordinate　officer　as　he　may　appoint；　give　them　a　license　to　settle　such　island　or　district；　and　afford　them　such　assistance　as　he　can　to　enable　them　to　establish　a　peaceable　agricultural　settlement。　　The　three　parties　named　will　subdivide　the　land；　under　the　supervision　of　the　inspector；　among　themselves；　and　such　others　as　may　choose　to　settle　near　them；　so　that　each　family　shall　have　a　plot　of　not　more　than　forty　acres　of　tillable　ground；　and；　when　it　borders　on　some　water…channel；　with　not　more　than　eight　hundred　feet　water…front；　in　the　possession　of　which　land　the　military　authorities　will　afford　them　protection　until　such　time　as　they　can　protect　themselves；　or　until　Congress　shall　regulate　their　title。　　The　quartermaster　may；　on　the　requisition　of　the　Inspector　of　Settlements　and　Plantations；　place　at　the　disposal　of　the　inspector　one　or　more　of　the　captured　steamers　to　ply　between　the　settlements　and　one　or　more　of　the　commercial　points　heretofore　named；　in　order　to　afford　the　settlers　the　opportunity　to　supply　their　necessary　wants；　and　to　sell　the　products　of　their　land　and　labor。
  4。　　Whenever　a　negro　has　enlisted　in　the　military　service　of　the　United　States；　be　may　locate　his　family　in　any　one　of　the　settlements　at　pleasure；　and　acquire　a　homestead；　and　all　other　rights　and　privileges　of　a　settler；　as　though　present　in　person。　In　like　manner；　negroes　may　settle　their　families　and　engage　on　board　the　gunboats；　or　in　fishing；　or　in　the　navigation　of　the　inland　waters；　without　losing　any　claim　to　land　or　other　advantages　derived　from　this　system。　　But　no　one；　unless　an　actual　settler　as　above　defined；　or　unless　absent　on　Government　service；　will　be　entitled　to　claim　any　right　to　land　or　property　in　any　settlement　by　virtue　of　these　orders。
  5。　　In　order　to　carry　out　this　system　of　settlement；　a　general　officer　will　be　detailed　as　Inspector　of　Settlements　and　Plantations；　whose　duty　it　shall　be　to　visit　the　settlements；　to　regulate　their　police　and　general　arrangement；　and　who　will　furnish