taken at the West and will show an excess of prisoners. The deliveries of U. S. prisoners at City Point have bene in excess of those of Confederate at same place. If you have any more Confederate prisoners of war I think it will be best to deliver them as soon as possible. All the papers and rolls relating to exchanges will be forwarded to you after the exchanges have been made.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant - Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, April 30, 1863.

Colonel WM. HOFFMAN, Commissary - General of Prisoners.

COLONEL: I have the honor to inclose to you copy of letter just received with memoranda* inclosed. I think that Doctor Dixon had better be released. Of Tunstall's case I am not advised. Please show the letter to General Hitchcock and give me information in detail on each of the points presented. Please have noted on the copy of memoranda and opposite each name the position of the case named. I think many of them have been released. If the case of Captain Baylor, confined at Fort Delaware, has not been examined I would recommend that it be as soon as practicable. The effect of keeping the release of a Confederate officer suspended on charges is always to retain one of our own officers in confinement, for while official notice of retaliation is not given I an satisfied that such retaliation is ready practiced.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant - Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

[Inclosure.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, Va., April 22, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel WILLIAM H. LUDLOW, Agent of Exchange.

SIR: 1. I will be very much obliged to you if you will secure the return of Thomas Tait Tunstall who I believe is now confined in Washington as a reply spy. He is the gentleman with reference to whom I read you the letter of the Honorable C. C. Clay. Mr. Tunstall is no spy in any sense of the term. I am well assured there was a lady in the case. The will do a good service to humanity if you procure his discharge.

2. I also bring to your attention again the case of Dr. Jos. E. Dixon, confined at Johnson's Island. I have already given you a statement of the fact in his case. I have in my possession cumulative evidence to the fullest extent of the truth of that statement. The injustice done to him is producing great excitement amongst our people. Why force retaliation in such matters? Doctor Dixon has been in confinement long enough to have been tried a dozen times and yet he is held without trial upon a charge the easiest that can be trumped up against any one. Is this right?

3. Privates Betts, Rider and Oliver, of Captain Gaither's company, First Virginia Cavalry, captured on the 25th February, are now in the Old Capitol Prison. I understand they have been tried as traitors by a court - martial in General Hooker's camp because they are Marylanders. The rumor is they have been sentenced to death. Is this system to be

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* Not found.

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