HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORFOLK,
Norfolk, Va., January 2, 1862.

Major General J. E. WOOL,

Commanding Department of Virginia.

SIR: In reply to your letter of the 20th [19th] ultimo asking the exchange of Captain John W. Sprague, Company E. Seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteers, a prisoner of war at Charleston, S. C., I am authorized to offer Captain Sprague for Captain Lucius J. Johnson, Seventh [Seventeenth] North Carolina Volunteers, taken at Hatteras and now at Fort Warren. Captain Sprague has been ordered to report to me and I will forward him to you when he arrives.

I am instructed to say to you that it is believed all the officers captured at Hatteras have been released upon parole or exchanged except First Lieutenant John W. Poole, Second Lieutenant Jas. T. Lasselle, Third Lieutenant Allen, and to inquire of you whether this exception is intentional or not and if you would be willing to exchange them for officers of like grade.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. HUGER,

Major-General, Commading Department.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA, &c.,
Fort Monroe, Va., January 3, 1862.

Respectfully forwarded for the information of the War Department.

JOHN E. WOOL,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORFOLK,
Norfolk, January 2, 1862.

Flag-Officer L. M. GOLDSBOROUGH,

Commanding North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

SIR: I have received further instructions* in reply to your letter of the 23rd ultimo.

1. Lieutenant William G. Jones, Tenth U. S. Infantry, is released on parole and will report as soon as practicable and I beg he may be received in place of Lieutenant Sayre, of the C. S. Marine Corps, who is now on his parole. I must remark that Lieutenant JOnes was not taken prisoner previous to the declaration of war but was captured with others by General Earl Van Dorn.

2. For Dr. R. D. Lynde, assistant surgeon, U. S. Army, now on parole, whom you are hereby authorized to release on your releasing from his parole Dr. James W. Herty, late assistant rurgeon, U. S. Navy, whom you sent to me some days ago.

3. Your proposition to exchange individuals late officers in the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps for seamen cannot be entertained on the scale fixed by you.

4. I am instructed to inform you that this Government has released within the last six months some 40 or 50 seamen (at least) taken on merchant vessels of the United States, considering them as non-combatants, and have sent them to the United States at the expense of this Government. I released four and sent them to Fort Monroe on the 31st

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* Benjamin to Huger, December 29, p. 764.

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