WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, February 11, 1862.

Major General JOHN E. WOOL, Fort Monroe, Va.

GENERAL: You will inform General Huger that Messrs. Ames and Fish have no authority to act in behalf of this Government in regard to the exchange of prisoners or any other purpose than the simple one of providing for the comfort of prisoners, if allowed to do so. That purposehaving failed they have been directed to return to this city. You will inform General Huger that you alone are clothed with full powrs for the purpose of arrnging for exchange of prisoners. You may confer with General Huger himself or with Messrs. Seddon and Conrad or any other person appearing for that purpose.

You may give such persons a safeguard to Fort Monroe for the purpose of consultation or your may hold the consultation anywhere else in your discretion. You may arrange for the restoration ofall the prisoners to their homes on fair terms of exchange, man for man and officer for officer of equal grade, assimilating the grade of officers of the Army and Navy when necessary, and agreeing upon equitable terms for the number of men of officers of inferior grade to be exchanged for any of higher grade when the occasion shall arise. That all the surplus prisoners on either side obe discharged on parole, with the agreement that any prisoners of war taken by the other party shall be returned in exchange as fast as captured, and this system to be ocntinued while hostilities continue so that on all occasions either parters shall so hold them only on paroletill exchanged, the prisoners being allowed to remain in their own region till the exchange is effected.

You will further inform General Huger or Messrs. Seddon and Conrad or whoever else it may concern that all the prisoners taken on board of vessels or otherwise in maritime conflict by the forces of the United States have been put and are now held only in military custody and on the same footing as the other prisoners taken in arms.

I am, your obedient servant,

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, February 11, 1862.

Major General B. HUGER, Commanding at Norfolk, Va.

GENERAL: I hasten to inform you that 39 prisoners arrived last evening in the Roads for Norfolk. They will be forwarded to the place designated by you where our flags meet, between Sewell's Point and sunken light-boat between 10 and 11 o'clock.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN E. WOOL,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, Va., February 11, 1862.

Major General B. HUGER, Commanding at Norfolk, Va.

SIR: I have not found it convenient until the present moment to acknowledge the receipt of your several letters of the 6th, 7th and 8th instant. The billof exchange for 120 pound and a check for $50 were duly