paroled by you and allowed to pass your lines with the view of being exchanged for Lieutenant Mitchel, your aide-de-camp, who had been taken prisoner by Colonel John H. Morgan, C. S. Army, and paroled by him. The exchange of Lieutenants Morgan and Mitchel is approved and they are relieved from their arrest and parole.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

[G. T. BEAUREGARD.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK,
May 21, 1862.

Major General IRVIN McDOWELL,

Commanding U. S. Forces near Fredericksburg.

GENERAL: By command of my Government I have the honor to inclose to you a copy of a letter received from the Honorable George W. Randolph, Secretary of War, making inquiry in respect to the treatment of Generals Buckner and Tilghman, prisoners of war in the hands of the United States. Any information, general, which it may be your pleasure to communicate to me on this subject will be duly forwarded to the Department of War. This communication will be borne by Lieutenant Colonel Augustus M. Smith, of the Confederate service, under a flag of truce,

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

JOSEPH R. ANDERSON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

[Indorsement.]

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK,
Fredericksburg, May 22, 1862.

Respectfully forwarded, together with a copy of my letter acknolwedging receipt, from which it will be seen that I await instructions on the point submitted.

IRVIN McDOWELL,

Major-General, Commanding Department.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, C. S. A., Richmond, May 18, 1862.

Brigadier General J. R. ANDERSON,

Commanding near Fredericksburg.

GENERAL: We are informed that Generals Buckner and Tilghman are confined in dungeons, and design if such be the fact to inflict similar confinment upon the two Federal officers of highest rank in our hands. Desiring, however, to be certain of the facts before proceeding to measures of retaliation I must request that you will send a flag of truce to General McDowell for the purpose of notifying him of our intention, and you will further inform him that we shall wait a reasonable time for the contradiction of the statement in reference to Generals Buckner and Tilghman. Should we not receive such contradiction we shall consider the statement as true and proceed accordingly. If you think fit you may furnish General McDowell with a copy of this letter.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War.