war, who are on parole for thirty days unless within that time Lieutenant William E. Merrill, U. S. Engineers, be unconditionally released and put at liberty at Fort Monroe. On the above conditions being complied with the parties interested will consider themselves released from their parole. *

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN E. WOOL,

Major-General.

RICHMOND, January 24, 1862.

General J. G. TOTTEN, Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army.

SIR: I have the honor to state that yesterday afternoon I received a visit from Lieutenant Terrill, of the Twenty-fifth Virginia Regiment, who was captured at Beverly, W. Va., on the 12th of July last and was paroled by General McClellan. This visit was for the purpose of effecting an exchange with me. He is a first lieutenant and was captured in the same department that I was. He thinks that if information is sent to Fort Monroe and thence to General Huger of the willingness of the Government to release him from parole on condition of my release that there will be no difficulty with the authorities here. Captain Todd, of the Lincoln Cavalry, wished me to mention that he is endeavoring to effect the same thing with Captain Smith, of the Twenty-fifth Virginia. Captain Hunt left here with the idea that he was exchanged for the latter. If so no such information has arrived here.

Respectfully,

WM. E. MERRILL,

First Lieutenant, Engineers.

Copy of Lieutenant Terrill's card:

Lieutenant PHILIP M. TERRILL.

25 Regiment Va. Vols. (Lt. Colonel Heck),

captured at Rich Mountain, July 12th, 1861.

Copy of indorsement on above:

I inclose Lieutenant Terrill's card. He is a brother of Captain Terrill, late of the artillery.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 25, 1862.

Ordered, That the Rev. Bishop Ames, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Honorable Hamilton Fish, of New York, be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to visit the prisoners belonging to the Army of the United States now in captivity at Richmond, in Virginia, and elsewhere, and under such regulations as may be prescribed by the authorities having custody of such prisoners relieve their necessities and provide for their comfort at the expense of the United States, in pursuance of the order heretofore made on this subject, and that said commissioners be requested immediately to signify by telegram to this Department their acceptance or refusal of this appointment and report in person at Washington without delay.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

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*For paragraph omitted, see Vol. I, this Series, p. 76.

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