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 power, are questions which under my responsibility I reserve to myself, and which I cannot feel justified in leaving to the decision of commanders in the field.