CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, October 15, 1863.

Lieutenant General E. K. SMITH, Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: Your letter of the 27th July was referred to Robert Ould, esq., agent of exchange, who reports that the exchange of officers has not been resumed, and advises you to hold all your prisoners, officers and men, in custody. Major Szymanski has been dispatches to your department to inform the officers there of all essential points as to the present position of all matters connected with exchanges and paroles. On there assembling of two - thirds of any of the regiments of paroled prisoners ordered to rendezvous west of the Mississippi and information there of they will be immediately declared exchanged. We have not enough of paroled or imprisoned captives to exchange all the captives paroled or held by the enemy, and hence until reassembled we do not wish to exhaust our privilege of declining exchange.

Very respectfully,

JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

GENERAL ORDERS,
WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 339.
Washington, October 16, 1863.

1. A declaration of exchanges having been announced by R. Ould. esq., agent for exchange at Richmond, Va., dated September 12, 1863, it is hereby declared that all officers and men of the U. S. Army captured and paroled previous to the 1st of September, 1863, are duly exchanged. The officers and men herein declared exchanged will immediately be sent to join their respective regiments.

By order of the Secretary of War:

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, October 16, 1863.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

General - in - Chief U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: The attention of the Government is earnestly called to the condition of the prisoners captured at Galveston on the 1st day of January, and now in Texas with some other prisoners subsequently captured at different places. There prisoners are at Camp Groce, in Texas, and number: Officers 29, soldiers 12, and sailors 86, being 127 in all. They have suffered greatly from confinement, and think they have been neglected by the Government, which they say should have made provision for their exchange. I commend earnestly this subject to the consideration of the War Department and hope that some speedy action for their relief be taken. There are also many officers held prisoners at Shreveport.

I have the honor to be, with much respect your obedient servant,

N. P. BANKS,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, October 16, 1863.

Major General H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief, &c.:

GENERAL: We have had many pressing applications for the special exchange of Major Howard, of Texas. Recently the commanding