Executive Order—Concerning the Purchase of Products in Insurrectionary States

I. Congress having authorized the purchase for the United States of the product of States declared in insurrection, and the Secretary of the Treasury having designated New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Pensacola, Port Royal, Beaufort, N. C., and Norfolk as places of purchase, and with my approval appointed agents and made regulations under which said products may be purchased: Therefore,

II. All persons, except such as may be in the civil, military, or naval service of the Government, having in their possession any products of States declared in insurrection which said agents are authorized to purchase, and all persons owning or controlling such products therein, are authorized to convey such products to either of the places which have been hereby or may hereafter be designated as places of purchase, and such products so destined shall not be liable to detention, seizure, or forfeiture while in transitu or in store awaiting transportation.

III. Any person having the certificate of a purchasing agent, as prescribed by Treasury Regulations, VIII, is authorized to pass, with the necessary means of transportation, to the points named in said certificate, and to return therefrom with the products required for the fulfillment of the stipulations set forth in said certificate.

IV. Any person having sold and delivered to a purchasing agent any products of an insurrectionary State in accordance with the regulations in relation thereto, and having in his possession a certificate setting forth the fact of such purchase and sale, the character and quantity of products, and the aggregate amount paid therefor, as prescribed by Regulation IX, shall be permitted by the military authority commanding at the place of sale to purchase from any authorized dealer at such place, or any other place in a loyal State, merchandise and other articles not contraband of war nor prohibited by the order of the War Department, nor coin, bullion, or foreign exchange, to an amount not exceeding in value one-third of the aggregate value of the products sold by him, as certified by the agent purchasing; and the merchandise and other articles so purchased may be transported by the same route and to the same place from and by which the products sold and delivered reached the purchasing agent, as set forth in the certificate; and such merchandise and other articles shall have safe conduct, and shall not be subject to detention, seizure, or forfeiture while being transported to the places and by the route set forth in the said certificate.

V. Generals commanding military districts and commandants of military posts and detachments, and officers commanding fleets, flotillas, and gunboats, will give safe conduct to persons and products, merchandise, and other articles duly authorized as aforesaid, and not contraband of war or prohibited by order of the War Department, or the orders of such generals commanding, or other duly authorized military or naval officer, made in pursuance thereof; and all persons hindering or preventing such safe conduct of persons or property will be deemed guilty of a military offense and punished accordingly.

VI. Any person transporting or attempting to transport any merchandise or other articles, except in pursuance of regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury dated July 29, 1864, or in pursuance of this order, or transporting or attempting to transport any merchandise or other articles contraband of war or forbidden by any order of the War Department, will be deemed guilty of a military offense and punished accordingly; and all products of insurrectionary States found in transitu to any other person or place than a purchasing agent and a designated place of purchase shall be seized and forfeited to the United States, except such as may be moving to a loyal State under duly authorized permits of a proper officer of the Treasury Department, as prescribed by Regulation XXXVIII, concerning "commercial intercourse," dated July 29, 1864, or such as may have been found abandoned or have been captured and are moving in pursuance of the act of March 12, 1863.

VII. No military or naval officer of the United States, or person in the military or naval service, nor any civil officer, except such as are appointed for that purpose, shall engage in trade or traffic in the products of insurrectionary States, or furnish transportation therefor, under pain of being deemed guilty of unlawful trading with the enemy and punished accordingly.

VIII. The Secretary of War will make such general orders or regulations as will insure the proper observance and execution of this order, and the Secretary of the Navy will give instructions to officers commanding fleets, flotillas, and gunboats in conformity therewith.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.