WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, January 23, 1863.

Colonel G. W. LEE, Atlanta, Ga.:

Hon H. C. Burnett, of the Senate, desires reply to his letter concerning correspondence with H. C. Payne, a prisoner in your custody. The Department requests you to answer his letter.

J. A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

VICKSBURG, January 23, 1863.

Lieutenant-General PEMBERTON:

Major Watts applies for a boat to go up with flag of truce and exchange the prisoners now in jail here. What reply shall I make?

M. L. SMITH,

Major-General.

[Indorsement.]

VICKSBURG, January 23, 1863.

Reply that I am ordered by Secretary of War not to exchange any prisoners until General Clark and the thirteen chiefest others at New Orleans are given up.

J. C. PEMBERTON,

Lieutenant-General, &c.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF HENRICO,
January 23, 1863.

Captain TURNER:

CAPTAIN: Please furnish me the name of the Yankee officer who was sent here by Colonel Imboden from the northwest and with reference to whom an order was issued that he should be retained. This order will still be insisted upon and you will see that it is enforced.

Very respectfully,

JNO H. WINDER,

Brigadier-General.

P. S. -He will probably be called for in a few days.

JACKSON, MISS., January 23, 1863.

Major General M. L. SMITH, Commanding, Vicksburg:

Orders from Secretary of War not to exchange any prisoners until General Clark and the thirteen "chiefest" others at New Orleans are given up.

J. R. WADDY,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

C. S. MILITARY PRISON, Richmond, January 23, 1863.

Captain W. S. WINDER, Assistant Adjutant-General.

SIR: I wish to report a matter which I should have mentioned before but for a press of other business. With the batch of prisoners sent off by flag of truce on the 11th instant a sutler named Marcus McNeil, from New york, went off under the name of Turner, a prisoner of war, the latter remaining in his (McN. s) place. I did not discover it until the prisoners had left and then it was made known by a deserter who