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The Lieutenant-General
Commanding the Armies of the United States:
You or any officer you may designate will, in your discretion, suspend the writ of habeas corpus so far as may relate to Major Chase, lately of the Engineer Corps of the Army of the United States, now alleged to be guilty of treasonable practices against this government. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By the President:
WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
Annotation
[1] OR, II, II, 193; James D. Richardson, A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789-1897 (Published by Authority of Congress, 1900), VI, 19. Although the Official Records prints this order under date of January 20, 1862, as addressed to ``Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, Commanding Armies of the United States,'' there seems to be little doubt that the order was issued June 20, 1861, as printed by Richardson. The original is missing from the National Archives, but the register of letters received by the adjutant general, lists it under date of June 20, 1861 (DNA WR RG 94, 875-P), and the original has been cataloged for sale at auction under the date of June 20, 1861 (American Art Association Anderson Galleries, Sale 3995, November 10, 1932, No. 61). Major William Henry Chase resigned from the U.S. Army, October 31, 1856. In 1861 he was commissioned colonel and major general of Florida state troops in the Confederate Army.