me the favor to ascertain whether your Government will allow the articles to be sent, and if permitted under what circumstances.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN E. WOOL,

Major - General.

U. S. FLAG - SHIP MINNESORE,

Hampton Roads, November 8, 1861.

Major General BENJAMIN HUGER,

Commanding Department, &c., Norfolk, Va.

SIR: In reply to your note of yesterday * by flag of truce I beg to say that your favor of the 19th ultimo was received and duly referred, and also that I am not intructed or authorized by the Government to make an excharge of prisones on any terms.

It was owing to a friendship for Lieutenant Worden and a consequent desire to procure his release (whose case in a hard one) and to a presumption of a like feeling on your part for Lieutenant Sharp that I ventured to propose a mutual release, confident that the Government would not disapprove my action and believing that these acts of kindness would lead to friendly and humane results.

As things stand I can now only say to you as between ourselves that if you will alow Lieutenant Worden to come to me I pledge myself that he shall either return to you within a fornight or else that I will give you Lieutenant Sharp in his stead, saving the contingency of serious illness or death. In any event if Lieutenant Worden is not returned to you and Lieutenant Sharp cannot be restored agreeably to the time indicated owing to illness or death you shall have another one of the prisoners of equal rank in lieu of the latter if you wish it.

I avail of this opportunity to thank you for your kind leter with regard to Mr. Hale, and to say that of his departure and purpose I had already been fully apprised. I may add that the information he pretended to convey is of no consequence to us whatever.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

L. M. GOLDSBOROUGH,

Flag - Office, Commanding North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

OFFICE COMMISSARY - GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Sanducky, Ohio, November 10, 1861.

Colonel J. SYMINGTON,

Commanding Allegheny Arsenal, Pittsurg, Pa.

COLONEL: I am erecting as part of the depot for prisoners of war near this city two block - houses which I propose to arm with a 12 - pounder howitzer each. I propose to mount the gun on a casemate carriage with chassis, or of that style such as I believe are made by the Ordnance Department, so arranged that the gun may be transferred from one port hole to another. Will you be kind enough to give me the dimensions of such a carriage with a little plan of it, if it is not too much trouble, so that I may be able to fix on the dimensions of the buildings?

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Lieutenant Colonel Eighth Infantry, Commissary - General of Prisoners.

---------------

* Not found.

---------------

9 R R - SERIES II, VOL III