legal investigation. These men still insist on their demandfor a trial, and as all the evidence is I suppose in your hands or under your control, and might require the attendance of witnesses from Richmond, and Ihad no evidence against them here, I therefore concluded it would best subserve the ends of justice and perhaps the convenience of your witnesses to send them back to Richmond. I have accordingly directed the marshal of the district toproceed with them to Richmond and deliver them to the proper authorities.

Most respectfully, yours,

HENRY T. CLARK,

Governor of North Carolina.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, August 18, 1861.

MIERS W. FISHER.

SIR: Your letter of the 10th instant asking for the exchange of J. R. Burch and Jos. W. Paulin, citizens of Virginia now confined as prisoners of war at Fortress Monroe, has been received. In reply I have the honor to inform you that an exchange of cartels upon the terms usually recognized and practiced in civilized warfare has been already invited by our government. No reply, however, has yet been received, and until that proposition shall have been accepted it would be manifestly inconsistent with the dignity of this Government to make any further effort in that direction and therefore impossible to effect the exchange proposed. It is needless to assure you, sir, that this Department regrets in commong with the whole Confederate Government that the Government of the United States has seen fit to adopt a t variance with the customs of civilized warfare as well as with every dictate of humanity; but such being the case self-respectrequires that we should accept the terms which have been [put] upon us by our adversaries and adhere unflinchingly to the plicy which is thus rendered necessary.

Very respectfully,

L. P. WALKER,

Secretary of War.

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE CONGRESS,

August 23, 1861.

His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS.

SIR: I have the honor to inform Your Excellency officially that on the 22nd day of August instant the Congress adopted the resolution of which the subjoined is a correct copy:

Resolved, That the President be requested, if in his opinion not incompatible with the public interests, to communicate to Congress theletter from General Bonham dated the 26th reporting the hanging of two sentinels of the South Carolina troops who were captured on the 17th July by the enemy near Centreville, and also any information he may possess relative to the facts stated therein.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

J. J. HOOPER,

Secretary of the Congress.

NEW ORLEANS, August 23, 1861.

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN, Richmond.

DEAR SIR: I see among the prisoners taken at Manassas and in Richmond the name of the Rev. Hiram Eddy, chaplain to the Second