said prisoners are to be treated-I mean as to clothing, feeding, &c. -and I will cheerfully receive said prisoners and to the best of my ability carry out your instructions to the letter. I refused to General Scurry to receive the first prisoners sent here, it is true, but it was in this wise: I said, "If I have charge of them, I must control and manage them in accordance with my own ideas. " To this General Scurry consented, but when said prisoners were forwarded to me I was especially charged "to remember that the prisoners must be treated as prisoners of war. " They were officers, and this charge to me clearly implied I was to treat them as gentlemen. When I read the instructions to me sent with said officers I would have returned them from whence sent, but knowing Governor Lubbock's anxiety that everything should be done by his officers to forward the interests of and render all possible service to the military department occupying in Texas, I received the prisoners and discharged my duty toward them to the very best of my ability. Under the order of the Governor I am entirely willing to receive the prisoners you desire to send. One hundred I could take charge of forthwith. The balance I would want some little time (say two weeks) to prepare for. I would require the services of, say, eight men, and, with your consent, would ask for their detail from the State troops. The expense account I would ask to be settled monthly with J. S. Besser, financial agent, State penitentiary. If you can spare me as many as twenty prisoners (negroes would be preferred) to work in the factory, I will most gladly receive them, and after being placed in my charge I would relieve the military department of all expense in relation to them. I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOM. CAROTHERS,

Superintendent Texas Penitentiary.

P. S. -If you please, allow Governor Lubbock to see this, if convenient.

T. C.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., September 21, 1863.

Honorable E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War:

SIR: I have the honor to inclose herewith a declaration of exchanges of rebel prisoners of war made by Mr. Ould, the agent from Richmond, which I have cut from a newspaper: *

The number of officers covered by the first five

sections of this declarations is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,208

The number of enlisted men is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,865

The number of officers covered by the sixth

section is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

--------

The number of enlisted men is. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,014

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Making a total of officers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,280

Making a total of enlisted men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,879

--------

Aggregate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,159

Reduced to enlisted men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29,433

Of the Federal troops on parole there are-

Officers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Enlisted men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,083

--------

Aggregate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,159

Reduced to enlisted men. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,409

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Which leaves a balance in our favor of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,024

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*See Exchange Notice Numbers 6, p. 295.

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