HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, August 14, 1863.

Honorable ROBERT OULD,

Commissioner for Exchange, Richmond, Va.:

SIR: Mr. Daniel Gerhart, an old and wealthy citizen of Ohio, was taken prisoner at Winchester, Va., while attending a son dangerously ill, and is now confined at Richmond. Can nothing be done to expedite the release of this gentleman?

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. A. MEREDITH,

Brigadier-General and Commissioner for Exchange.

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, August 14, 1863.

His Excellency M. L. BONHAM,

Governor of South Carolina, Charleston, S. C.:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of the 8th instant renewing the request that the commissioned officers taken in command of negroes within your State be, in accordance with the President's proclamation announced in General Orders, Numbers 111, of December 24, 1862, delivered to the authorities of your State to be dealt with according to its laws. Subsequent to that proclamation and the issue of the general orders in pursuance thereof, the Congress of the Confederate States, by joint resolutions approved May 1, 1863, provided in effect that such officers 'shall during the present war be tried before the military court attached to the army or corps by the troops of which they shall have been captured, and by such other military court as the President shall direct, and in such manner and under such regulations as the President shall prescribe, and after conviction the President may commute the punishment in such manner and on such terms as he may deem proper. " These resolutions have been annulled and substituted by the orders to which you refer, and in consequence the officers demanded by you cannot be delivered, but must be tried in the manner prescribed by said resolutions. Instructions to observe the provision of the resolutions, together with a copy thereof, have been forwarded to the commanding general of the department embracing your State, and it is not doubted that under such instructions appropriate proceedings will be instituted and severe punishment inflicted upon the officers taken in the unworthy and criminal service of commanding negroes, thereby inciting to servile insurrection and all its attendant horrors within your State. Assurance of this course of proceeding by the commanding general is afforded by the promptness with which he has complied with the instructions to surrender, in pursuance of the same resolutions, the negroes captured in arms. Thus it is hoped full satisfaction on both points will be afforded to the outraged feelings of Your Excellency and the people of the state.

With high regard and respect, your obedient servant,

JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, August 14, 1863.

General BRAXTON BRAGG,

Commanding Department of Tennessee:

GENERAL: A letter of D. M. Wisdom addressed to Colonel Roddey, of the 23rd ultimo, was referred from your headquarters to this Department