in the copy of affidavit inclosed. Will you please give me such information as you may possess concerning them. Mr. Ould claims that credit for these men has never been given the Confederate authorities in the settlement of exchange of prisoners.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for the Exchange of Prisoners.

[Inclosure.]

CITY OF PETERSBURG, State of Virginia:

Personally appeared before the undersigned notary public W. H. Ker, major and assistant adjutant-general, who states on oath that in the month of May, 1862, A. D., he paroled at Salisbury, State of North Carolina, 1,383 Federal prisoners of war, and that the said prisoners were sent to Washington, State of North Carolina, in detachments of 200, each detachment under charge of a commissioned officer. Affiant further states that the paroles were signed in duplicate, one of which was left with Major A. C. Godwin, commanding the military prison at Salisbury, State of North Carolina, the other given to the officer in charge of the respective detachments.

WM. H. KER,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

STATE OF VIRGINIA, Corporation of Petersburg, to wit:

I, Robert H. Mann, a notary public in and for the corporation aforesaid in the State of Virginia, do hereby certify that William H. Ker, major and assistant adjutant-general, whose name is signed to the foregoing affidavit, this day personally appeared before me in corporation aforesaid and made oath to the truth of the facts therein stated. Given under my hand this 2nd of March, 1863.

ROBERT H. MANN,

Notary Public.

HEADQUARTERS, Annapolis, Md., March 18, 1863.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,
Headquarters Middle Department, Baltimore, Md.

SIR: In compliance with the indorsement on Colonel Hoffman's letter of the 7th instant, referred to me from your office with Captain Lazelle's report, I have carefully read the latter and find that nearly all the suggestions therein contained must be carried into effect by the commanding officer at Camp Parole or by instructions from Washington. That camp is placed under the immediate command of Lieutenant Colonel G. Sangster in all matters connected with its police or interior arrangement, who receives his instructions through Colonel Hoffman, the commissary-general of prisoners, directly from the General-in-Chief.

I shall order the Third Regiment Potomac Home Brigade to Camp Parole to strengthen the guard, except such portions as may be necessary for a guard at the general hospital and to protect the public property at the navy-yard, so soon as the snow shall disappear and the ground be sufficiently dry to render it safe to change the men from comfortable barracks to tents where they will be compelled to sleep on the ground.

The number of paroled prisoners has been recently so much reduced, being now only some 2,000, that the present guard is sufficient for a few days.