without delay and without exactions I on my part would release Lieutenant Sharp unconditionally without waiting for the arrival of Lieutenant Worden and send him to you by a flag of truce.

The last paragraph of your letter of today wherein if I understand you aright you intimate a formal excharge induces me to suppose that possibly I may not hitherto have made myself clearly understood, and hence the reason why I now address you with the view of saying that I am not at liberty to act upon any other grounds than those above mentioned, which in effect amount to this: Give me one and I will give you the other, all formalities in the matter itself to be dispensed with and no conditions to be imposed upon either individual. If you will accept these Lieutenant Sharp shall be put at your disposaal forthwith.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

L. M. GOLDSBOROUGH,

Flag - Officer, Commanding North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORFOLK,
November 14, 1861.

Flag - Office L. M. GOLDSBOROUGH,

Commanding North Atlantic Blockaking Squadron.

SIR: I am in receipt of your letter of the 13th instant. To avoid any misunderstanding I refer you to my intructions, the letter of the Secretary of War * to me dated October 16, a copy of which has been sent to you.

In your letter of the 12th instant you say " I will release Lieutenant Sharp unconditionally," but the previous part of the same sentence makes this condition, ciz, that I shall assure you

" that Lieutenant Worden shall be sent to you. " If this is not excharge what is it?

As authorized by my instructions I am ready to excharge Lieutenant Worden for Lieutenant Sharp.

I remain your obedient servant,

BENJ. HUGER,

Major - General, Commanding Department

OFFICER COMMISSARY - GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Sanducky, Ohio, November 15, 1861.

General M. C. MEIGS,

Quartemaster - General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.

GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose herewith the lease + for the land to be occupied on Johnson's Island for the depot of prisoners of war; also the contract + and bond + for the erection of the buildings, all made under my direction. Some little additional expense has been put on the buildings to make them more suitable for this winter climate and I have allowed the contractors

$ 1, 500 to cover the increased expense of erecting the buildings on the island, an amoutn which seems to me only reasonable. The quarters for the officers who are prisoners will accommodate 256 persons, one - fourth more than on my estimate, and have four small rooms and two large ones in each building for messroons and kitchens. All the quarters with the hospital, store and block - houses and the fencing which on account of the character of the

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* See Benjamin to Huger, p. 729.

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+ Omitted.