Provost Marshal & Guards

Our provost impression presents the story of military administered law-and-order during the Civil War. The provost-marshal, appointed for every military department, partook of the character both of a chief of police and of a magistrate. The Provost obtained guards from the enlisted ranks of primarily infantry and cavalry units as a temporary duty for an as required time period.

Martial Law!
To this officer was entrusted the duty of making searches, seizures, and arrests, the custody of deserters from the opposing forces and of prisoners of war, the issuance of passes to citizens, and the bearing of complaints of citizens.

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Reproduction "pass" used at Stafford Civil War Park Grand Opening.

Among provost duties were the suppression of marauding and the depredations on private property, the preservation of good order, the prevention of straggling, the suppression of gambling houses or other establishments prejudicial to good order and discipline, and the supervision of hotels, saloons, and places of resort and amusement generally. When the draft system was instituted in 1863, the provost was assigned the enforcement responsibility.

Provost Guards performing their duty.

For more information on President Lincoln’s suspension of the writ of habeas corpus and Congress’s ratification of this action with the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act, see…  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habeas_Corpus_Suspension_Act_1863