the enemy who may be prisoners in our hands to be held answerable for the treatment which my officers and men may receive at the hands of their captors.

With this view I earnestly beg that if it can be done consistently the nine prisoners taken by the fleet at Edisto may be turned over to me.

I have the honor to be, admiral, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

D. HUNTER,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, May 18, 1863.

Lieutenant General T. H. HOLMES, C. S. Army,

Commanding District of Arkansas.

GENERAL: There has been no intentional departure on my part from the cartel to which you refer, but the changes of position of troops and departments have prevented me from preserving the current accounts which would otherwise have continued. Eastern Arkansas has fallen into the temporary command of the Department of the Tennessee. In relation to orders issued by General Blunt I send you a copy of my Orders, No. 30, current series, which you will perceive supersedes any order such as you name, as General Blunt is within this department. As there is no very exact meaning to the word "bushwhackers"I do not consider it necessary to determine the rights appertaining to them. Regular soldiers in bushes are very different from mere stragglers or murderers in the bush as you will readily understand. I have, therefore, in my order tried to define irregular troops according to established rules. In relation to the matter of General McNeil I send you a copy of my reply sent long ago and which must have been neglected by other commanders who were placed in command about the time.

Trusting that these explanations will be sufficient to satisfy you of my determination to restrain licentious warfare and pursue only such rules as seem most certain to terminate our unfortunate strife by honorable means,

I have the honor to remain, your obedient servant,

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General, Commanding.

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, May 18, 1863.

Colonel WILLIAM HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington City.

COLONEL: John Walker, late captain of the U. S. tug-boat Fox, with Martin B. Woolfley, engineer of the said boat, report that they represent the crew of the U. S. tug Fox, consisting of twenty-one men, including themselves, captured at Pass a l'Outre, April 12, midnight, and carried into Mobile, thence forwarded to Richmond and paroled for exchange and sent to Annapolis, thence to Washington City. They apply for transportation for themselves and crew to New Orleans. They have been directed to report to you, and upon a requisition approved by you Colonel Rucker, depot quartermaster, will send them by