parole released and set free certain officers and men belonging to this army corps, particularly in the Shenandoah Valley, at such time and place as best suited their own convenience, thus avoiding the expense and trouble of delivering them according to the provisions of the cartel and the danger of their recapture, thereby forfeiting their right to claim an exchange and releasing by their own act the persons so captured and set free:

It is ordered, That all officers and men so released or who may hereafter in such manner be released and who have not been regularly exchanged will be returned to duty.

And it is further ordered, That all officers and men of this command who have in this manner been released and are now absent from their respective posts, regiments or companies shall return to duty with their respective commands on or before the 1st day of April next or be entered on the rolls and considered as deserters and treated accordingly.

By command of Major-General Shenck:

WM. H. CHESBEROUGH,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.

FORT MONROE, March 9, 1863.

Honorable E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War:

Colonel Ludlow informed me that the political prisoners, about 500 in number, would be readily at Washington on the 12th. Shall I send up Captain Mulford with the State of Maine, that flag-of-truce boat, to-morrow? She is ready now. Will you direct Colonel Hoffman to have complete lists of the prisoners prepared? There are two or three at Fort Norfolk whom, I wish to send.

JOHN A. DIX,

Major-General.

OFFICE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL,

Wheeling, March 9, 1863.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

SIR: I have to apologize for an unintentional error in my late report of the female prisoner Mary June Preter. I set her down as one, but it now appears she is two. The jailer informs me that she has been enceinte about five months. This complicates the matter somewhat. I presume I will soon receive final instructions from you concerning this one and Marain McKenzie, both arrested on same charge, wearing soldiers' apparel and frequenting our camps in that grab.

Very respectfully,

JOS. DARR, JR.,

Major and Provost-Marshal-General.

HDQRS. VOLUNTEER RECRUITING SERVICE FOR VIRGINIA,
Wheeling, Va., March 9, 1863.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN,

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

SIR: General Orders, Numbers 46, War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, 20th February, 1863, require that reports be made to superintendents of volunteers recruiting service in regard to the collection of paroled prisoners and that superintendents make like reports to you,