Hoping you will find it compatible with your public duties and sense of justice to use your best efforts in behalf of General Pelham,

I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant,

C. W. BURNLEY,

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ninth Legislature.

HDQRS. DEPT. SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA AND FLORIDA,
Charleston, S. C., February 8, 1863.

Colonel JOHN S. PRESTON, Commanding, &c., Columbia.

COLONEL: Assistant Surgeon Marvin, U. S. Navy, should not have been sent to Columbia but to Richmond, whither you will send him in charge of some officers when convenient; that is, without detailing an officer for that special service. Of course it will not do to let him run at large, though it I desired that he shall have as much liberty as practicable. He will be delivered to General Winder at Richmond.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. J[ORDAN,]

Chief of Staff.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Richmond, February 9, 1863.

Honorable SECRETARY OF WAR.

SIR: I am directed by the President to forward for your attention and the proper action the following copy of a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 5th instant:

Resolved, That the President be requested to communicate to this House a list of all civilians now in custody under authority of the War Department, giving as to each his name, residence and occupation, with the date of his arrest, the offense charged against him and the place of his imprisonment.

Your obedient servant,

BURTON N. HARRISON,

Private Secretary.

C. S. MILITARY PRISON,

Salisbury, N. C., February 9, 1863.

B. R. WELLFORD, Esq., C. S. Commissioner.

SIR: Although I understand that your visit to this place is made only for the purpose of investigating the cases of parties confined here for political offenses and therefore myself and the eleven officers lately attached to U. S. steamer Columbia who are held as prisoners of war are not directly included among its object I take leave to submit to you a brief statement of our case and to request that you will do me the favor of bringing to the notice of the proper authorities at Richmond the exceptional circumstances under which we became rather than were made prisoners.

The Columbia, at that time one of the blockading squadron in the vicinity of New Inlet, N. C., while running in the evening of the 14th ultimo with the intent to anchor for the night in obedience to orders, some three miles from shore and when by the soundings she should have been at that distance and the order had been given to bring ship to anchor found herself (owing to an error of the leadsman