retained and punished retaliation will be resorted to. You have some chaplains in your hands. Will you deliver them?

Please send replies to the above by this flag of truce.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

SAINT LOUIS, July 13, 1863.

Honorable E. M. STANTON:

Mr. McKee, of the Democrat, a paper that has done more good for the Union and Government in Missouri and Illinois than any other in the land, has been arrested by Schofield for publishing President Lincoln's letter to General Schofield, which he obtained fairly. This arrest has aroused the indignation of the uncorrupted loyalists of this city, and is regarded as unkind and unjust and against the President's instructions in this same letter, an insult to true Union men and a special catering to a mongrel party of pestilent factionists. *

HENRY T. BLOW.

MEDICAL DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, MIDDLE DEPARTMENT,

Baltimore, Md., July 13, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel DONN PIATT, Chief of Staff, &c.:

COLONEL: I have the honor to acknowledge your communication of this date,# calling attention to the condition of the rebel wounded lately arrived in this city.

I beg leave to represent I was first apprised of its approach when the train was in the immediate neighborhood of this city. Permanent and sufficient arrangements have been made upon Canal street for the care and distribution of arriving wounded, and the Northern Central Railroad is under positive and standing orders from the quartermaster to move the cars to that point. The Federal wounded were immediately sent there, and attended to by the surgeon in waiting. Medical Inspector W. H. Mussey, U. S. Army, who is charged by the Surgeon-General with the special duty of superintending the transportation of the wounded, visited at the time the upper depot and was informed, owing to many not being paroled, they would all be obliged to be sent to Fort McHenry. The assistant provost-marshal afterward called at this office, and, upon consultation with Doctor Mussey, it was decided to send the severely wounded to West's Hospital, and Captain French promised to order the cars to be sent there without delay, while the medical officers were notified from this office to receive them. Persons on this train expected another to follow, but no official announcement was made. This morning about 6 o'clock the surgeon in charge of the distribution reported the rebels had not arrived. It was then presumed they had all been taken to Fort McHenry. About 9 a. m. the assistant provost-marshal reported the cars had remained in North street all night, owing to the inability or neglect of the railroad company to remove them as ordered. He was requested to compel the company to convey them immediately to their destination. The railroad made no report whatever of their presence during the night. At the same time Captain

---------------

*For other correspondence relating to arrest of William McKee, see Series I, Vol. XXII, pp. 373-375, 383.

#Not found.

---------------