to return North they were under the sad necessity of engaging themselves in order to live. My profession of seaman caused me to go on board a privateer. I have paid for my compulsory error by a year's imprisonment. The Government of the United States ought to be kind enough to take these facts into consideration and to not force foreigners to return to the South which course exposes them to finding themselves in the same position as before. I venture to hope that Your Excellency will condescend to take these facts into consideration and that you will be pleased to take some steps in order that I may be enabled to remain in the North. I am, with profound respect, Mr. Minister, your very humble and very obedient servant, A. PEYRUSSET, Captain of Merchant Vessel Trading with Foreign Ports. Major-General DIX: WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 25, 1862. The rolls of prisoners held by us are not on file in this Department. They have been ordered to be made out with all dispatch. The number of prisoners of war held by us is reported to be over 20,000. The rolls will be ready in as brief a time as possible. Have named you and General Franklin as our agents of exchange. The commissary of prisoners thinks he can have the rolls in five days. They will be transmitted to you as soon as possible. Major-General DIX: EDWIN M. STANTON, WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 25, 1862. You and Major-General Franklin have been appointed our agents for the exchange of prisoners. The agents appointed by the rebels will be at Aiken's at 12 m. to-morrow, where you will please meet them. Advise General McClellan whether you will be present or not. EDWIN M. STANTON, FORT MONROE, July 25, 1862. Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War: The intention was to have one agent here for the exchange of pris oners and one at Vicksburg. The Confederates will have but one at each place. I beg to be excused from this duty. My presence here is indispensably necessary. I have arranged to go to Point Lookout this evening to settle some matters there. General Franklin can do all that is necessary. If two are needed here General Van Alen, who commands at Yorktown, can be spared without inconvenience. JOHN A. DIX, Major-General. MCCLELLAN'S HEADQUARTERS, July 25, 1862. Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War: The following has just been received from the Confederate lines: Captain HOPKINS: Send word to Doctor Collins at City Point to notify General McClellan that our agents for exchange of prisoners will be at Aiken's to-morrow at 12 o'clock meridian. Acknowledge receipt of this dispatch. R. E. LEE, General. I beg to urge upon you the immediate appointment of the agents. G. B. MCCLELLAN, Major-General, Commanding. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 25, 1862. Maj. Gen. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN: Major-General Dix and Major-General Franklin are appointed our agents for the exchange of prisoners. If either of these cannot attend you may name some one to take his place. Major-General Dix has been notified of time and place of meeting. EDWIN M. STANTON. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 25, 1862. Major-General DIX: A dispatch from General McClellan states that the agent for exchange of prisoners on the part of the Confederates is to be at Aiken's to-morrow at 12 o'clock. I think you had better go up and explain why our rolls of prisoners are not ready and that they will be furnished and the prisoners sent on immediately. General McClellan can then appoint General Franklin or some one else to act as agent and General Halleck designate an agent at Vicksburg. It is important there should be no misunderstanding and you can prevent it better than any one else. Your visit to Point Lookout appears to be of minor importance to this. Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON: EDWIN M. STANTON. FORT MONROE, July 25, 1862. By a dispatch from General Williams just sent to you it will be seen that the agent of the insurgents was at Aiken's yesterday. I understood that General McClellan would send some one to act for his army until an appointment could be made at Washington. Paroled prisoners arriving here from Richmond every day and they look for prompt action on our part. General R. E. LEE, JOHN A. DIX, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, July 25, 1862. Commanding Department of Northern Virginia. GENERAL: Ihave just been informed that your agents for the exchange of prisoners will be at Aiken's [Landing] at noon to-day prepared to meet ours. The power to appoint the agents was not delegated me but as soon as the cartel had been signed I urged upon the Government their immediate appointment. I regret to say that I have not yet been informed of any action in the matter but I will at once repeat my request and will inform you when the appointment is made and the time when the meeting can take place, which I trust will be at no distant day. I have taken the liberty of communicating the substance of this direct to your agents. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, [GEO. B. MCCLELLAN,] Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, July 25, 1862. To the [CONFEDERATE] AGENTS FOR THE EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS, Aiken's. GENTLEMEN: I have just learned that you will reach Aiken's at noon to-day expecting to meet there our agents for the exchange of prisoners. I regret to have to inform you that as far as I am aware no agents have yet been appointed for the purpose by the Government, but I have urged their immediate appointment and will at once repeat the request. I will advise General Lee of their appointment and the time when the meeting can take place, which I trust may be within a very brief period. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, [GEO. B. MCCLELLAN,] Major-General, Commanding. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 25, 1862. His Excellency SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD, Governor of Iowa. SIR: Your letter of the 22d instant has been referred to the Secretary of War. I am directed to say in reply that arrangements have been made for a general exchange of prisoners which it is hoped will remove all further cause of complaint on the part of paroled prisoners of war. The principle, however, is settled that our soldiers when sent back by the enemy on parole must not be placed on any duty that will increase the effective force of our army by relieving other troops and permitting them to act more effectively against the enemy. By order of Secretary of War: C. P. BUCKINGHAM, Brigadier-General and Assistant Adjutant-General. HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF VIRGINIA, Brig. Gen. RUFUS KING, Fredericksburg: Please ascertain and forward the names of the four Union citizens of Fredericksburg recently seized by the rebel authorities and now confined in Richmond. If there have been other Union citizens seized by the rebel authorities in the neighborhood of Fredericksburg and now held captive by such authorities please forward their names, as we may be able to exchange them with prisoners now confined in Capitol Prison. By command of Major-General Pope: [GEO. D. RUGGLES,] Colonel and Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, New Orleans, July 25, 1862. General Dow will confine Martin Fullman in Fort Saint Philip at labor for giving information to guerrillas while claiming to be a natural subject of Great Britain. BENJ. F. BUTLER, Major-General, Commanding. SPECIAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DISTRICT OF WEST TENNESSEE, Corinth, Miss., July 25, 1862. VI. Hereafter all charge of political prisoners will be left with the provost-marshal under direction of the provost-marshal-general. All prisoners confined will have their cases examined into with as little delay as practicable and the result of the examination reported to these headquarters. Major-General Ord, commanding post, will furnish the provost-marshal-general with all orders heretofore issued pertaining to the duties from which this order relieves him. The provost-marshalgeneral will be charged with granting permits for all persons not connected with the army to pass over the railroads and through the lines with such restrictions as are or may be ordered. * By order of Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant: [JOHN A. RAWLINS,] Assistant Adjutant-General. GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DISTRICT OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Columbus, Ky., July 25, 1862. No. 25. All persons within the limits of the district who have served in the rebel army and have returned to their homes and taken the oath of allegiance to the United States Government will immediately turn over to the nearest commanding officer of the U. S. forces all arms of any description which they may have. If any such persons shall be discovered or detected with arms in their possession it will be considered a hostile act, nullifying their oath of allegiance and will subject them to confinement and treatment of prisoners of war. Hereafter all persons taking the oath of allegiance will certify that they have no arms in their possession and that they will not carry or procure them without permission. By order of Brig. Gen. I. F. Quinby: M. ROCHESTER, Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. MILITARY DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON, D. C., SUPERINTENDENT OLD CAPITOL PRISON. SIR: The names of the four Union prisoners who were arrested in Fairfax County, Va., and carried to Richmond by the rebels are Maj. Charles Williams, Moses Morrison, Thomas Morrison and Peter Couse. They have also in confinement the following-named Union prisoners of Fairfax County, Va.: George Bayless, Abraham Lydecker, Mr. Murphy and Julius Visser. A like number of civil prisoners are held by the United States as hostages for the above, subject to exchange. The five Turners, Wybert and Peacock, ordered released from Richmond on the 8th instant, have not been heard from. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, General L. THOMAS, JOHN P. SHERBURNE, FORT WARREN, July 25, 1862. Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C. SIR: The following-named prisoners of war profess that they are loyal men and urgently request that they may not be forced to go back to the Confederate States as prisoners of war, but be permitted to take the oath of allegiance and remain, viz: James Wilson, gunner; James Waters, third assistant engineer; Virginius Cherry, carpenter (these three men say that the oath of allegiance was administered to them on board the gun-boat Rhode Island during the passage from New Orleans); Theodore Holt, third assistant engineer; B. Dart, lieutenant, Louisiana volunteer artillery; R. Silk, Texas volunteers; B. F. Head, sergeant, Seventeenth Virginia Volunteers. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. DIMICK, Colonel First Artillery, Commanding Post. SAINT LOUIS, July 25, 1862. Col. W. HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners: All the prisoners of war fit to travel were sent to Alton, Ill., on the 19th instant. There remains here in hospital 105, and 25 convalescent and new arrivals. BERNARD G. FARRAR, Mr. STIRLING, COLUMBUS, OHIO, July 25, 1862. In Charge of Commissary-General's Office, Detroit, Mich.: I inclose a copy* of instructions sent by me to Captain Freedley which I wish that you would copy in the book and submit to the inspection of Colonel Hoffman the moment he arrives as he may desire to make essential changes in them. I wish that you would look at the list of the names of prisoners sent to this post during the month of June which was forwarded to Colonel Hoffman but a short time (a few days before I left Detroit) since. It was sent as a sub-voucher to the monthly return. The number of names on it should be 197. If this is * Omitted here; Lazelle to Freedley, July 20, p. 249. |