GEOKGIA. 



311 



tendered at these headquarters, coming on the eve 

 of an important election, and when there is not 

 sufficient tune to make new appointments, makes it 

 proper and necessary for the commanding general 

 to give notice, that such resignations will not be ac- 

 cepted, and that sheriffs who have been so long hold- 

 ing their offices at the sufferance of the commanding 

 general will not be permitted to resign until after 

 said election is over ; and they are hereby required 

 to continue in the faithful performance of their offi- 

 cial duties until relieved irom the same by orders 

 from these headquarters. Any violation of this 

 order will be punished in the manner prescribed in 

 General Orders No. 42, for the punishment of civil 

 officers for disobedience of orders. 



2. Inasmuch as a numerous class of the electors of 

 this State are, from necessity, at present dependent 

 upon another class for employment by which they 

 may earn daily bread for themselves and their fam- 

 ilies, and as numerous complaints have been made 

 at these headquarters, that such laborers will be in- 

 timidated from voting at the approaching election 

 by fear of the loss of employment, employers are 

 hereby forbidden any attempts to control the action 

 or will of their laborers as to voting, by threats of , 

 discharge from employment or by other oppressive 

 means ; and any person who shall, by such means, 

 prevent a laborer trom voting as he pleases, or shall 

 discharge him from employment on account of his 

 having exercised his privileges as a voter, will, on 

 conviction of such offence before a military commis- 

 sion, be punished by fine or imprisonment, or both. 



3. It is made the duty, as it is certainly the desire, 

 of the commanding general, to secure to all the 

 duly registered voters in the State of Georgia an 

 opportunity to vote at the approaching election 

 ''freely and without restraint, fear, or the influence 

 of fraud," and he calls upon all good citizens to co- 

 operate with him in his efforts to have the election 

 conducted fairly as required by law. 



By order of Major-General MEADE. 

 R. C. DRUM, Assistant Adjutant- General. 



General Orders, No. 58. 



HEADQUARTERS THIRD MILITARY DISTRICT, ) 



DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA, > 



ATLANTA, GA., April 11, 1868. ) 



1. The uncertainty which seems to exist in regard 

 to holding municipal elections on the 20th instant, 

 and the frequent inquiries addressed to these head- 

 quarters, render it necessary for the commanding 

 general to announce that said elections are not au- 

 thorized by any orders from these headquarters. 

 Managers of elections are hereby prohibited from 

 receiving any votes, for any offices except such 

 offices as are provided for in the constitution to be 

 submitted for ratification the voting for which offi- 

 cers is authorized by General Orders Nos. 40 and 52. 



2. Complaints having been made to these head- 

 quarters, by planters and others, that improper means 

 are being used to compel laborers to leave their work 

 to attend political meetings, and threats being made 

 that, in case of refusal^ penalties will be attached to 

 said refusal, the major-general commanding an- 

 nounces that all such attempts to control the move- 

 ments of laborers and interfere with the rights of 

 employers are strictly forbidden, and will be con- 

 sidered, and on conviction will be punished, the same 

 as any attempts to dissuade and prevent voters from 

 going to the polls, as referred to in paragraph 2, 

 General Orders No. 57. 



3. The major-general commanding also makes 

 known that, while he acknowledges and will re- 

 quire to be respected the rights of laborers to peace- 

 ably assemble at night to discuss political questions, 

 yet he discountenances and forbids the assembling 

 of armed bodies ; and requires that all such assem- 

 blages shall notify either the military or civil author- 

 ities of ^these proposed meetings, and said military 

 and civil authorities are enjoined to see that the right 



of electors to peaceably assemble for legitimate pur- 

 poses is not disturbed. 



4. The wearing or carrying of arms, either con- 

 cealed or otherwise, by persons not connected with 

 the military service of the Government, or such civil 

 officers whose duty under the laws and orders it is 

 to preserve the public peace, at, or in the vicinity of 

 the polling-places, on the days set apart for holding 

 the election in the State of Georgia, is positively for- 

 bidden. Civil and military officers will see that this 

 order, as well as all others relating to the preserva- 

 tion of the peace and quiet of the counties in which 

 they are acting, is strictly observed. 



5. The commanding officers of sub-Districts of 

 Georgia and Florida will take prompt measures to give 

 publicity to this order through the Superintendents 

 of Eegistration and the officers of the Freedmen's 

 Bureau, and will enjoin on the latter to instruct and 

 advise the Freedmen in their rights and duties. 



By order of Major-General MEADE. 

 E. C. DRUM, Assistant Adjutant-General. 



General Orders, No. 59. 



HEADQUARTERS THIRD MILITARY DISTRICT, \ 



DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA, > 



ATLANTA, GA., April 13, 1868. ) 



Whereas, It has been reported to the commanding 

 general, from several parts of the State of Georgia, 

 that very many names have been stricken from the 

 list of registered voters, without any cause being 

 assigned for said striking off, or an opportunity given 

 to voters,^ heretofore registered, to meet the objections 

 received in their cases ; and whereas, it is the deter- 

 mination of the commanding general that all candi- 

 dates in the approaching election shall have every 

 opportunity to show " from official data, whether 

 said registration and election have been honestly and 

 fairly conducted, and in accordance with law ; it is 

 hereby ordered, 



That all managers of elections shall receive the 

 votes, of all such persons as shall have been stricken 

 from^the registered list during the last five days, for 

 revision ; not counting said votes, but keeping them 

 separate, with the names of the persons presenting 

 them written on the back, and said votes shall be 

 sent in a separate envelope with the returns made of 

 the election, to be compared with the reasons re- 

 quired by law to be sent to these headquarters, when- 

 ever any Board of Eegistratipn shall deem it proper 

 to strike names from the registration lists. 



By order of Major-General MEADE. 



E. C. DRUM, Assistant Adjutant-General. 



The election passed off quietly, and the re- 

 sult, so far as it concerned the ratification of 

 the new constitution, was announced in the 

 following General Order : 



General Orders, No. 76. 

 HEADQUARTERS THIRD MILITARY DISTRICT, 

 DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA, 

 ATLANTA, GA., May 11, 1868. , 



Official returns of the recent election having been 

 received from all the counties in the State of Georgia, 

 in which the election on the ratification of the con- 

 stitution was held ; and it appearing from said re- 

 turns that a majority of seventeen thousand six 

 hundred and ninety-nine (17,699) votes had been 

 cast " For the constitution," tfte same is hereby de- 

 clared ratified in accordance with the provisions of 

 the act of Congress which became a law March 12, 

 1868. By order of Major-General MEADE. 



E. C. DRUM, Assistant Adjutant-General. 



Eufus B. Bullock, the Republican candidate 

 for Governor, was elected by a majority of 

 7,047, the whole number of votes cast being 

 159,245, and Gordon having 76,099 to 83,146 

 for Bullock. This result, together with the 

 names of all persons elected to the two branches 



