GENERAL ORDERS, 
No. 207. 
WAR DEPARTMENT, 
Adjutant General’s Office, 
Washington, July 3, 1863. 
I..The attention of all persons }n the military service of the United 
States is called to Article 7 of the cartel agreed upon onthe22dof July, 
1862, and published in General Orders, No. 142, Sept. 25, 1862. Ac- 
cording to the terms of this cartel, all captures must be reduced to 
actual possession, and all prisoners of war must be delivered at the 
places designated, there to be exchanged, or paroled until exchange 
can be effected. The only exception allowed is the case of commanders 
of two opposing armies, who are authorized to exchange prisoners or 
to release them on parole at other points mutually agreed upon by said 
commanders. 
II.. It is understood that captured officers and men have been paroled 
and released in the fie’-d by others than commanders of opposing 
armies, and that the sick and wounded in hospitals have been so pa- 
roled and released, in order to avoid guarding and removing them, 
which in many cases would have been impossible. Such paroles are 
in violation of General Orders and the stipulations of the cartel, and 
are null and void. They are not regarded by the enemy, and will not 
be respected in the armies of the United States. Any officer or soldier 
who gives such parole will be returned to duty without exchange, and, 
moreover, will be punished for disobedience of orders. It is the duty 
of the captor to guard his prisoners, and if, through necessity or choice, 
he fail to do this, it is the duty of the prisoner to return to the service 
of his Government. He cannot avoid this duty by giving an authorized 
military parole. 
III.. A military parole not to serve until exchanged must not be con- 
founded with a, parole of honor to do or not to do a particular thing not 
inconsistent with the duty of a soldier. Thus, a prisoner of war actu- 
ally held by the enemy may, in order to obtain exemption from a close 
guard or confinement, pledge his parole of honor that he will make no 
attempt to escape. Such pledges are binding upon the individuals 
giving them; but they should seldom be given or received, for it is the 
duty of a prisoner to escape if able to do so. Any pledge or parolo of 
honor extorted from a prisoner by ill usage cr cruelty is not binding. 2 
IV.-The obligations imposed by the general laws and usages of 
wav upon tlie non-combatant inhabitants of a section of country passed 
over by an invading army, cease when the military occupation ceases; 
and any pledge or parole given by such persons, in regard to future 
service, is null and of no effect. 
By order of the Secretary of War : 
E. U. TOWNSEND, 
Assistant Adjutant General.