regular and that I was released from all military and moral obligations to the Federal Government. I have throught proper to notify you of the fact of my exchange in order to avoid any misconstruction and that you may know that having taken your construction of the agreement as my guide I was not exchanged for Colonel Norton, who under that construction is now a prisoner of war on parole "and as an honorable gentleman will be expected to observe it. " I cannot conclude without expressing my high appreciation of the courtesy and kindness with which I was treated while a prisoner of war. This letter will be submitted to the general commanding the department and will be forwarded with his approbation by the Rev. Dr. Brown. I ought perhaps to have said whilst on my parole I was promoted to a colonel and was exchanged for a colonel.

I have honor to remain, very respectfully,

GEO. S. PATTON,

Colonel 22nd Regiment Va. Vols., C. S. A., Commanding Dist. of Gauley.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Numbers 62.
Saint Louis, April 1, 1862.

* * * * *

IV. Colonel R. D. Cutts and Major John J. Key will proceed to Alton to examine and report upon the condition of the prisoners at that place. They will also examine into the cases of the prisoners arrested in Illinois for assisting in the escape of prisoners of war and report whether it would not be policy to release them and turn them over to the civil authorities.

* * * * *

By order of Major-General Halleck:

J. C. KELTON,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April 2, 1862.

Honorable GIDEON WELLES, Secretary of the Navy.

SIR: I inclose a dispatch* from Mr. Perry, charge d affaires at Madrid, relative to the arrest of certain disloyal American citizens at Tangier and will thank you to return the communication to this Department.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Buffalo, April 2, 1862.

General M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.

GENERAL: I am here looking for a steamboat or propeller for service at the depot at Sandusky, and being not far from New York I propose to be in that city for a few days. As my duties are now almost exclusively in the West I would be glad to move my headquarters from New York to Detroit, a central position convenient to all the camps where there are prisoners of war, and I respectfully ask for orders accordingly.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Lieutenant Colonel Eighth Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

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* Omitted here; Perry to Seward, p. 342.

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