engaged in performing service for one of your garrisons in response to a pressing demand from one of your own officers.

For the purpose of showing to you the position of the Confederate Government in relation to the imprisonment of non-combatants, I now renew to you the proposal which I have frequently tendered to your predecessor. I propose that all the non-combatants now held in prison on either side by immediately and unconditionally released, and further, that both Government agree that no captures of non-combatants shall hereafter be made. If the latter branch of this proposition is too broad I will thank you to suggest any proper modifications.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, August 1, 1863.

Brigadier General S. A. MEREDITH, Agent of Exchange:

SIR: In my communication to Lieutenant-Colonel Ludlow of the 26th of July, 1863, the following paragraph occurs, to wit:

If you hold the paroles of our officers of any rank, as you state have only to present them, and whatever is in our hands, whether on parole or in captivity, will be freely given in exchange for them.

As the language of the paragraph might authorize a conclusion which was not intended by me, I will explain what I meant. Of course I did not mean I would release your officers who were in confinement for those of ours who were on parole so long as any of our officers were kept in prison by your authorities. I simply meant to reiterate the proposition which was very distinctly and more fully announced by me in a former correspondence with Lieutenant-Colonel Ludlow in relation to the Federal officers who were paroled early in this year in Kentucky and Tennessee. I intended to say that if at any time we had an excess of officers in confinement and you had an excess of paroles, after the officers in confinement on both sides were set off against each other, I would exchange the surplus in prison for officers on parole.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, August 1, 1863.

Brigadier General S. A MEREDITH, Agent of Exchange:

SIR: In the Army and Navy Official Gazette of the date of July 14, 1863, I find a letter of Lieutenant Colonel William H. Ludlow, of the date of July 7, 1863, addressed to Colonel J. C. Kelton. In it is the following paragraph, to wit:

I have the honor also to state that since the 22nd of May last it has been distinctly understood between Mr. Ould and myself that all captures must be reduced to possession and that all paroles are to be disregarded unless under the special arrangement of commanding officers of armies in the field as prescribed in section 7 of the cartel.

If Lieutenant-Colonel Ludlow means that he had declared to me that such was the rule which had been adopted by the United States in