HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA.

Fort Monoe, November 28, 1861.

Major General GEORGE B. McCLELLAN, Commandong the Army.

GENERAL: Herewith you will receive a communication from J. G. Martin, adjutant - general North CVarolina. In relation to so much as refers to furnishing clothing for the prisoners of the United States in North Carolina I would remark that I have already made arrangements with Major - General Huger for the tramsportation of clothing, and 2, 000 suits have been ordered for that purpose by the Quartemaster - General and will be forwarded as soon as received.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN E. WOOL,

Major - General.

[Inclosure.]

HDQRS. NORTH CAROLINA TOOPS, ADJT, GEN'S OFFICE,
Raleigh, November 23, 1861.

Major - General McCLELLAN,

General - in - Chief U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.

GENERAL: I have under my charge about 120 prisoners belonging to your Army, part of them, about 40, taken in Virginia, the others from the steamer Uniion wrecked on our coast. They all want blankets and many of them clothes. I have furnished clothing to some of them but can do so no more. I write now to say that if you will furnish me with such clothing as you wish given them I will turn it over to some one of your officers for distribution among officers and men. I will also delive to any officer you may name such amount of money as you may think proper for the use of your officers and men is such sums as I think necessary if you will cause the same amount to be placed subject to the order of Colonel William F. Martin, Seventh [Seventeenth] Regiment North Carolina Volunteers, prisoner of war taken at Hatteras, now at Fort Warren, fro the use of his officers nak dmen under such regulations as you may think necessary. Four days since it was considered necessary to confine in jail * Lieutenant - Colonel bownam, of the Pennsylvania Volunteers. The reason for this you will probably have been states in the newspapares. Before that he was on parole and accorded the limits of this city as the other officers still are. This letter is written with the knowledge and sanction of the Governor.

I am, general, respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. G. MARTIN,

Adjutant - General.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 29, 1861.

Honorable EDWARD BATES, Attorney - General.

SIR: Major - General Wood has transmitted to this Department from Fortress Monroe a packet with the following address -

To the Honorable Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, Richmond, Va. -

and accompanying papers. This packet contains a letter to the person addressed from a Mr. M. Harrison, attorney for certain persons recently tried for piracy in Philadelphia, and was forwarded to General Wool by the express sanction of J. Hubley Ashton, assistant attorney of the United States there.

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* As a hostage; see pp. 131, 132.

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