CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, August 5, 1863.

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

SIR: I will thank you to inform me whatever it is the purpose of your authorities to deliver to us the non-commissioned officers and privates now in your custody.

Recent movements have been so mysterious that I am justified in asking thus distinctly what is your intention? I trust you will inform me in your next communication.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, August 5, 1863.

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

SIR: Neither this office nor any department of the Confederate Government has any advices or information as to the hanging of "two officers commanding negro troops".

If upon inquiry it trust out that such has been the case you will be duly informed. In the meantime permit me to suggest that no very implicit reliance should be placed upon newspaper statements. If they had been only half true no correspondence would be taking place between us at this time.

Respectfully,

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, August 5, 1863.

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

SIR: I see no reason for the appearance of your flag-of-truce boats "daily or every other day in order that prisoners may receive their correspondence with some sort of regularity". It is of far more importance that the thousands of prisoners who are languishing in your prison should be sent. The best and most satisfactory message from them will be communicated with their own lips.

If you intend to keep them in your horrible prisons it will be but a poor satisfaction that they have the privilege of telling their loved ones the story of their anguish.

The flag-of-truce boats are not such much intended for correspondence as the delivery of prisoners. The former is merely incidental. Every flag-of-truce boat that arrives at City Point without the number of prisoners it can accommodate, while you have thousands in your possession, is a purposed breach of cartel. Your flags of truce, of course, are sacred in the river, unless you make them a glaring abuse. The beginning of that abuse is to send them with letters instead of prisoners. I trust, therefore, that no boats with correspondence and newspapers and without prisoners will make their appearance at City Point. Our people have had enough of that already.

At the instance of your predecessor, we made an arrangement by which two copies of each of our five daily papers in Richmond were to be exchanged for an equal number of your papers. If you feel disposed