[NOVEMBER 19, 1861. - For Huger to Wool relating to excharge of Surgeons De Witt C. Peters and Wyatt M. Brown, see Vol. I, this Series, p. 67.]

U. S. FLAG - SHIP MINNESOTA,

Hampton Roads, November 20, 1861.

Major General BENJAMIN HUGER,

Commanding Department, &c., Norfolk, Va.

SIR: I beg to acknowledge the receipt of two letters from you by the flag of truce of yesterday, one of which dated the 19th instant was handed to me in person by Lieutenant Worden, and the other dated the 16th instant came to me by one of my staff officers, to whom I understand it was given by the officers charged with your flag of truce.

With regard to the former an dthe first paragraph of the letter I am happy to say that I now send to you Lieutenant Sharp and place him entirely hat your disposal in full accordance with what has passed between us on the subject. With regard, however, to the rest of your letter of the 16th instant there are parts of it which I regret you should have been called upon to write, for instead of facilitating the object in view they must necessarily have an opposite effect. The proposition for you to receive Mr. Stevens in place of Lieutenant Kautz was made entirely on my own responsibility and without even the knowledge of my Government, and I made it (to say nothing on the score of humanity) because I considered Lieutenant Saharp as already virtually pledged for Lieutenant Worden and because I had no more suitable person under my control to offer, feeling at the time if not agreeable it might be gracefully declined.

It strikes as not a little remarkeble that while in one sentence you are called upon to express indignation at this proposition in the very next you are not only authorized to accept it but even to suggest its extension to several similar cases, and permit me to observe I am not aware that I did invite this suggestion on any occasion of our correspondence. Nevertheless I am not only willing but very anxious to give you besides Mr. Stevens for Lieutenant Kautz, Mr. Loyall for Lieutenant Selden and Messrs. Butt and Dalton for others upon whom we might agree, but it is due to frankness for me to say once forneither entertain this nor any other suggestion from you so long as it is coupled with even a rebuke much less an insult to my Government.

I therefore return you herewith your letter * in view and under the hope that upon further reflection you may be enable to modify is so as to remove all objectionable features and thus that we may be permitted to proceed becomingly in the merciful object before us. Until them I am constrained to say things must stand as they now are.

L. M. GOLDSBOFOUGH,

Flag - Officer, Commanding North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORFOLK,
November 21, 1861.

Flag - Officer L. M. GOLDSBOROUGH,

Commanding North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

SIR: Lieutenant Sharp, C. S. Navy, arrived yesterday and as stated in my letter of 19th instant his being thus liberated releases Lieutenant Worden from his parole.

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* See Goldsborough's indorsement on Huger's letter of the 16th.

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