teers, and other prisoners taken by General Jeff. Thompson, at the Big River bridge on the 15th of October for an equal number of prisoners of war held by you. I herewith inclose a copy of General Orders, Numbers 30. * current series, from these headquarters, with the requirements of which you will please comply at your earliest conventience.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

N. H. McLEAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. FIRST MILITARY DISTRICT, MISSOURI STATE GUARD,
New Madrid, Mo., February 19, 1862.

Colonel W. P. CARLIN, U. S. Army,

Commandant, Ironton, Mo.

COLONEL: Your favor of January 30 # in relation to the exchange of Captain Elliot and others for those of my command held prisonersof war by the U. S. forces was but this day received I having been absent at Richmond.

I inclose herewith a general order releasing all captured on the Iron Mountain railroad from their parole, but mustremind you that there were fifty-four enlisted men taken at the bridge and nine at Blackwell's Station.

General Polk deemed it expedient to exchange Captain Elliott for Captain Griffith who was in my service in Brown's battalion but whose term of service had expired and who is one of those whom I condtend fore there are three lieutenants and sixty-three instited men to be exchanged for for whom you will please discharge such regular officers and soldiers of mine as you may have at Ironton and Saint Louis in the poper proportion of grades and can send the balance from Cape Girardeau and Bird's Point.

I am not at present to consider my disbanded and discharged men as soldiers and have writen to General Halleck to know in what light he entirtains them. So soon as I may hear him I will make arrangements for their release.

I have no means at present of knowing how many U. S. soldiers are held in Arkansas but will learn in a few days and correspond with you in relation to them. I have some six or eight in confinement in Memphis whom I will also report to you in a few days.

I have been requested by the friends of various of the prisoners to effect their release in advance of others; but I really believe that I am relasing far more than you have of mine I will not mention may of their names but request that you will send me a slist of the names of those discharged by you so that if all are not embraced I can make other arrangements.

I am sorry that I did not see Captain Elliot as I expect he has the idea that most others have had the misfortune to be my prisoners, viz, that I am disposed to be a clever fellow.

Yours, most respectfully,

M. JEFF. THOMPSON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

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* See p. 164, "Mescellaneous captrures, etc, "for General Orders, Numbers 30.

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