HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, Va., February 15, 1862.

Brigadier General A. E. BURNSIDE,

Commanding Department of North Carolina.

GENERAL: I congratulate you and Goldsborough on your glorious victory, a great one considering the dificulites you encountered before reaching the rebels. It will produce the most favorable results. It wasjust what the moneyed interests as well as others reuqired at this moment.

I have received authority from the Secretary of War to make arrangements with the rebel authorities for the exchange of all prisoners. Last evening I received a communication from Major-General Hugerin which he informed me that he had no doubt the arrangements as suggested by myself would be accepted. In such a case in a very few days all prisoners would be exchanged.

Under these circumstances I would recommend that you keep your prisoners for a few days when I have no doubt they will be iether exchanged or paroled.

If you have 3,000 prisoners as reported we will have an excess of prisoners over the rebels, and if such should be the cse they will be immediately paroled to return to their homes; that is if the rebel authorities accepy of my proposed arrangement, of which I will immediately inform you.

I have deemed it proper to make the above known to you in order to save expense of sending them North.

Herewith I forward copy* of my proposition to Major General B. Huger.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN E. WOOL,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA,
Roanoke Island, February 15, 1862.

Having been taken a prisoner of war by the forces of General A. E. Burnside on Roanoke Island I do solemnly pledge my sacredword and honor that if released I will give to no one any information I may have derived or mention anything I have seen or heard since my capture that might injure the Government of the United States of America, and that I will not take up arms against the United States of America or aid their enemies by word or act until I am regularly exchanged according to the usages of war, the information to me of said exchange to be beyond the possibility of a doubt.

[Nominal list omitted. It embraced-colonels, 2; lieutenant-clonels, 4; majors, 6; captains, 34; first lieutenants, 37; second lieutenants, 64; third lieutenants, 3; quartermasters, 2; quartermaster-sergeants, 5; adjutants, 3; sergenat-majors, 3; commissary-sergenats, 2; orderly sergeants, 2; aides-de-camp, 4; captain of artillery, 1; lieutenant, of Navy, 1; engineer, 1; sergeants, 144; corporals, 126; musicians, 9; privates, 1,989; surgeons, 3; assistant surgeons, 7; company physicians, 2; hospital attendants, 5; servants, 20. Total, 2,488.]

I hereby certify the above to be a correct list of the prisoners and that they have all subscribed their namesto the pledge required of them.

A. E. BURNSIDE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

---------------

*Omitted here; Wool to Huger, February 13, p. 259.

---------------