Would it not be best to order at once the sending to Fort Monroe for delivery at City Point all the enlisted men confined there?

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS EIGHTH ARMY CORPS,
Baltimore, Md., February 25, 1863.

Colonel WILLIAM HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington, D. C.

COLONEL: In compliance with your request of the 15th instant I have the honor herewith to forward you the accompanying list* of prisoners, political and otherwise, that have been received at Fort McHenry during the months of October, November, December, January and February, how disposed of, and also those now on hand. I also hand you a list showing the paroles taken at the provost-marshal's office and the circumstances under which they were granted. I regret much the delay attending the preparation of these papers. It has, however, been unavoidable and they have been forwarded as soon as the information could be obtained.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

W. H. CHESEBROUGH,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 26, 1863.

Colonel WILLIAM HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington.

SIR: Your note of the 25th instant requesting the names of citizen prisoners confined in Fort Lafayette by order of the Secretary of the Navy with the charges against them with a view to effect their exchange has been received, and in reply I transmit herewith a copy of a letter of this addressed to the Secretary of War by the Secretary of the Navy requesting that the naval captures turned over to the military authorities may be detained for future action.

Very respectfully,

G. V. FOX,

Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

[Inclosure.]

NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 26, 1863.

Honorable E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that this Department desires the detention of all those persons captured by the naval forces and now chiefly confined in Fort Lafayette. Most of them are pilots whose places cannot be supplied by the rebels. The cartel of September 25, 1862, published in general orders of the War Department, Numbers 142, has been annulled by Jefferson Davis by public proclamation and officers and sailors of the U. S. naval forces are retained in prison on bread and water. Under these circumstances it is proper that the naval captures turned over to the military authority should be held for

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*Omitted.

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