courts, and its seems to me that it would utterly degrade itself by recognizing and such responsibility. Any such recognition would involve an ignoring of the great truth that this is a war on crime ad criminals which cannot be lost sight of without incurring the risk of becoming in the judgment of the world criminals ourselves.

J. HOLT.

Judge-Advocate-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, May 14, 1863

Colonel W. HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

COLONEL: My attention has been frequently called by Mr. Ould, the Confederate agent for exchange of prisoners, to the fact that many Confederate officers and men who have been declared exchanged and who are in the department of Major-General Banks are retained by him. Will you please have issued the necessary orders for their delivery within the Confederate lines? I am also informed that many members of so called irregular organizations within the same department have been refused exchange. These come under the same rules that have regulated our past exchanges. Will you please to have the necessary orders issued in their cases and inform General Banks that they are proper subjects of exchange?

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. LUDLOW

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, May 14, 1863

Colonel W. HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

COLONEL: Will you please furnish me with a copy of your lists of all Confederate prisoners, military and civil at the various camps and places of detention? I think you informed me that they were made monthly to you and you can send me those of the last month.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

FORT MONROE, May 14, 1863

Colonel W. HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

COLONEL: I have made a demand upon the Confederate agent for Hiram Bloss, Ezekiel S. Bloss and Morgan Garrett, citizens of Wayne County, Va. I inclose to you a copy of memorandum handed to me by Governor Peirpoint and which I desire may be shown to the Secretary of War. I hope I am correct in the opinion that Governor Peirpoint has no authority whatever over military captures and that some restriction may be promptly placed on this system of retaliation which seems to be going on without the knowledge or consent of the Secretary of War.

The only Virginia officers now in confinement at Richmond are Captain Gramm and Lieutenant Wade, of the Eighth Regiment [West]