FRIEND SPENCER: [Sub-inclosure.] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, I received yesterday a letter from your friend Wigmore inclosing one from his Mississippi friend and urging renewed efforts in his favor. I have not received a word of reply from Reuben Davis, of Mississippi, and hence the exchange has not been arranged; but as you take such a deep interest in Mr. Jones I have procured his unconditional release as you will see from the inclosed, which will open his prison doors and which the Secretary of War granted me as a personal favor. Please have your friend Mr. Wigmore state to Mr. Jones that if he desires to cross our lines into the South he will have to decline it and wait till his comrades are released, when they will be sent to our lines by the Government. I am arranging irrespective of Mr. Davis' failure to write for the exchange of the Mississippians, a list of whom you furnished me. That list I sent to Davis and a copy of it to General Wool and hence have no record of it with me. Ask Mr. Jones to make out another list excluding the lieutenants, as in the prisoners returned to us recently on parole they have sent only from sergeants down to privates, and if he chooses include enough more Mississippians to make up seventy-five, place them in the order he desires to have them released, and I will arrange for at least forty-five of them to be discharged on parole and sent across the line within two weeks, I trust; perhaps for the whole. I mean that forty-five shall be released certainly and I hope within two weeks. The bad faith of the Southerners as to Corcoran blocks the way as to general exchanges, but I will have a special exception made of this case. They will of course have to report to their authorities as exchanges for paroled Indianians. Perhaps you had better send this letter to Mr. Jones through Mr. Wigmore and ask the former to write to me without delay, as the adjournment of Congress is uncertain. You wrote me that Mr. Jones could remain North, but he speaks in his letter* which I inclose of returning South. He cannot get across our lines if unconditionally discharged, so he must decide himself which course to adopt. In great haste, as usual, Yours, truly, SCHUYLER COLFAX. P. S.-As the temper of our people is not in favor of releasing rebels and as I would not have done it but to oblige you make no reference to it in the paper. After the exchange is arranged it will be time enough. My regards to your new partner, with my best wishes for the success of both of you. S. C. HEADQUARTERS, Camp Butler, July 7, 1862. Col. WILLIAM HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners, Detroit, Mich. : Yours of the 5th instant asking in what capacity Drs. J. L. H. Sessum, E. R. Crockett, S. E. Winnemore and R. H. Andrews appear on the roll is received. I have examined the rolls and do not find them reported as surgeons. I will state, however, as a matter of justice to those gentlemen that they are practicing physicians and surgeons and that they * Not found. have performed duty as such during their imprisonment here. Doctor Alexander who is also here had been appointed a surgeon prior to his surrender, but if discharged will continue on duty here with the prisoners. Respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN G. FONDA, Major, Twelfth Illinois Cavalry, Commanding Post. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, July 8, 1862. Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. SIR: It has been represented to me that there are among the prison. ers of war at Governor's Island, N. Y., a number of young men of Northern birth who were impressed into the insurgent service and who it is believed would be willing to enlist in the Army of the United States if permitted to do so. If you think it best to cause an inquiry to be made as to the correctness of these representations I would sug gest that Robert Murray, esq., U. S. marshal for the southern district of New York, who is a very discreet man, be authorized to visit the prisoners for the purpose indicated. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 8, 1862. His Excellency H. R. GAMBLE, Governor of Missouri, Saint Louis : Commanding officer at Cairo has been telegraphed to send paroled men to Jefferson Barracks, Saint Louis, and officer in command there has been ordered to be in readiness to receive them. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 8, 1862. Col. WILLIAM HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners, Detroit, Mich. SIR: The Secretary of War instructs me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 1st instant relative to the order of the provostmarshal-general at Saint Louis for the release of a prisoner of war said to be a British subject, and asking for instructions in the case. You are respectfully informed in reply that except the authority conferred upon you in the cases of sick prisoners as set forth in General Orders, No. 67,* there is no authority anywhere save in the War Department to parole or discharge either political prisoners or pris. oners of war. C. P. WOLCOTT, Assistant Secretary of War. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Camp near Harrison's Landing, Va., July 8, 1862. Maj. Gen. A. P. HILL, Commanding Division of Confederate Forces. GENERAL: Understanding that there are sick and wounded men. belonging to the army under my command at Carter's Landing who are * See p. 30. suffering for want of attendance and provisions and that no objections will be entertained by you for their removal here, I accordingly request permission to send a boat under a flag of truce for them. I would be glad to receive any other wounded and sick men that may be in your possession that belong to my army, and ask to be informed how many there are and if they be subsisted and receive medical assistance. I have made these requests in the interests of a large humanity, which would seem to justify the delivery of wounded and sick men who must die if they cannot have due care and sustenance, which I learn you are not in a position to afford them. I shall be glad to receive a reply to this communication at your earliest convenience. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, HEADQUARTERS LIGHT DIVISION, July 8, 1862. Maj. Gen. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, Commanding U. S. Forces. GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date and to inform you that there are thirty of your wounded and sick soldiers at Carter's Landing. So far as lay in my power I have had them attended to, and have sent my staff surgeon to them twice and would have had them removed to Richmond did their condition allow it, where they would have been better cared for. You can send a boat for them any time to-morrow and Mr. Hill Carter will deliver them to you. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. P. HILL, Major-General, Commanding Light Division. CORINTH, July 8, 1862. Maj. Gen. G. H. THOMAS, Tuscumbia: Any one within our lines who corresponds with the enemy is a spy and should be tried and punished as such. Deserters should be released on taking oath and giving parole. The same with refugee citizens if living within our lines. Prisoners of war who wish to be exchanged will be delivered to the enemy on receipt, they giving parole not to serve until regularly exchanged. Perhaps Winston had better be sent to Alton Prison. H. W. HALLECK, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, COMMANDING OFFICER, Cairo, Ill.: General Orders, No. 72,* just issued, requires paroled prisoners from Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri to be sent to camp * See p. 94. near Jefferson Barracks, Mo. They must not be furloughed. Send them at once. L. THOMAS, HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE DEPARTMENT, Col. WILLIAM HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners, Detroit, Mich. SIR: I have the honor to inform you in reply to your communication of the 3d instant that prisoners of war, civil and military, in this department are confined at Forts Delaware and McHenry. There is no provost-marshal in general charge of these prisoners, but Brevet Brigadier-General Morris is in charge of those at Fort McHenry and Capt. A. A. Gibson, Second Artillery, in charge of those at Fort Delaware. The major-general commanding directs me to say that he is about to transfer some eighteen political prisoners from Fort McHenry to Fort Lafayette and that Fort McHenry is nearly full at this time. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, [WM. D. WHIPPLE,] Assistant Adjutant-General. GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. CENTRAL DIVISION OF THE MISS., The commanders of posts and provost-marshals within this command will arrest and hold in confinement any person refusing to take the oath of allegiance to the United States Government. They will arrest all officers and soldiers returning from the rebel army who do not come forward voluntarily, deliver themselves up and take the oath as prescribed. Any person detected in intimidating by threats or otherwise any person from giving in their allegiance to the United States Govern. ment or using disloyal language in any way whatever will be arrested and punished to the utmost extent of the law. This division extends from Columbus to Humboldt along the line of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. By order of Brig. Gen. G. M. Dodge: OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, General L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C. GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose herewith copies of regulations which pursuant to authority given me in General Orders, No. 67, of the 17th ultimo from the War Department I have issued for the government of commanders who have charge of stations where prisoners of war are held. I hope they will meet your approbation. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners. CIRCULAR.] [Inclosure.] OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, The following regulations will be observed at all stations where prisoners of war are held: 1. The commanding officer at each station is held accountable for the discipline and good order of his command and for the security of the prisoners, and will take such measures as will best secure these results. He will divide the prisoners into companies, and will cause written reports to be made to him of their condition every morning showing the changes made during the preceding twenty-four hours, giving the names of the "joined," "transferred," "deaths," &c. At the end of every month commanders will send to the commissary-general of prisoners a return of prisoners, giving names and details to explain alterations. Where rolls of "joined" or "transferred" have been forwarded during the month it will be sufficient to refer to them on the return. 2. On the arrival of prisoners at any station a careful comparison of them with the rolls that accompany them will be made and all errors on the rolls will be corrected. When no roll accompanies the prisoners one will be immediately made out containing all the information required as correct as can be from the statements of the prisoners themselves. When the prisoners are citizens the town, county, and State from which they come will be given on the rolls under the heads, rank, regiment and company. At the same time they will be required to give up all arms and weapons of every description and all moneys which they have in their possession, for which the commanding officer will give receipts. 3. The hospital will be under the immediate charge of the senior surgeon who will be held responsible to the commanding officer for its good order and the condition of the sick. "The fund" of this hospital will be kept separate from the fund of the hospital for the troops and will be disbursed for the sole benefit of the sick prisoners on the requisition of the surgeon approved by the commanding officer. When the fund is sufficiently large there will be bought with it besides the articles usually purchased all articles of table furniture, kitchen utensils, articles for policing, shirts and drawers for the sick, the expense of washing, and all articles that may be indispensably necessary to promote the sanitary condition of the hospital. 4. The commanding officer will cause requisitions to be made by his quartermaster on the nearest depot for such clothing as may be absolutely necessary for the prisoners, which requisition will be approved by him after a careful inquiry as to the necessity and submitted for the approval of the commissary-general of prisoners. The clothing will be issued by the quartermaster to the prisoners with the assistance and under the supervision of an officer detailed for the purpose, whose certificate that the issue has been made in his presence will be the quartermaster's voucher for the clothing issued. From the 30th of April to the 1st of October neither drawers nor socks will be allowed except to the sick. 5. A general fund for the benefit of the prisoners will be made by withholding from their rations all that can be spared without inconvenience to them, and selling this surplus under existing regulations to the commissary, who will hold the funds in his hands and be accountable for them subject to the commanding officer's order to cover purchases. The purchases with the fund will be made by or through the |