to us and we ignorant of his design, but of course we obeyed our officers. You are no doubt familiar with all we did or can find it recorded in the trial of our comrades. Since then Andrews himself and 7 of us have been executed, and 14 survive. Is this not enough for vengeance and for a warning to others? Would mercy in our case be misplaced? We have already been closely confined for more than four months. Will you not, sir, display a noble generosity, by putting us on the same footing as prisoners of war, and permitting us to be exchanged, and thus show that in this terrible war the South still feels the claim of mercy and humanity?

If you will be so good as to grant us this request we will ever be grateful to you.

Please inform us of your decision as soon as convenient.

W. W. BROWN,

WM. KNIGHT,

ELIHU MASON,

JNumbers R. PORTER,

WM. BENSINGER,

ROBT. BUFFUM,

MARK WOOD,

ALFRED WILSON,

Twenty-first Ohio Regiment.

WM. PITTENGER,

Second Ohio Regiment.

WM. H. REDDICK,

JNumbers WOLLAM,

D. A. DORSEY,

M. J. HAWKINS,

JACOB PARROTT,

Thirty-third Ohio Regiment.

All of Sill's brigade, Buell's division.

Respectfully forwarded to General Slaughter.

G. W. LEE,

Commanding Post.

HEADQUARTERS, Atlanta, Ga., September 16, 1862.

Honorable GEORGE W. RANDOLPH,
Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

SIR: Your communication 11th instant is duly to hand. In reply I have respectfully to say that the arrest, incarceration, trial, and execution of the prisoners you refer to occurred before I took charge of this post by your order. I found a number of prisoners on my arrival, and among them the men named in the petition transmitted. Inclosed I send all the papers handed over to me by my predecessor. Since the reception of your letter I have endeavored to find Captain Foreacre, and ascertain something more, explaining what I was not conversant with in the transaction, but as his business takes him away from the city, I have not as yet had an interview with him. I will still seek occasion to find him, and give you all the information derived from him.

You will please find inclosed the names of the engine-stealers and bridge-burners who are now confined in the jail of this city. It is entirely out of my power to answer you as to "why 14 of the enginethieves were respited while the others were executed, and whether or