WASHINGTON, D.C., _December 11, 1866_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
I transmit herewith reports from the Secretary of War and the
Attorney-General, in compliance with a resolution of the 3d instant,
requesting the President to communicate to the House, "if not in his
opinion incompatible with the public interests, the information asked
for in a resolution of this House dated the 23d June last, and which
resolution he has up to this time failed to answer, as to whether any
application has been made to him for the pardon of G.E. Pickett, who
acted as a major-general of the rebel forces in the late war for the
suppression of insurrection, and, if so, what has been the action
thereon; and also to communicate copies of all papers, entries,
indorsements, and other documentary evidence in relation to any
proceeding in connection with such application; and that he also inform
this House whether, since the adjournment at Raleigh, N.C., on the
30th of March last, of the last board or court of inquiry convened to
investigate the facts attending the hanging of a number of United States
soldiers for alleged desertion from the rebel army, any further measures
have been taken to bring the said Pickett or other perpetrators of that
crime to punishment."
In transmitting the accompanying papers containing the information
requested by the House of Representatives it is proper to state that,
instead of bearing date the 23d of June last, the first resolution was
dated the 23d of July, and was received by the Executive only four days
before the termination of the session.