the bodies of deceased officers or soldiers could be forwarded through flag - of - truce boat to their friends. I have received no reply to my offer. Until that is made it is entirely use less for you to make any such request as is contained in your letter of the 15th instant in relation to the body of Lieutenant J. P. Cleeson. I refer you to my letter of September 12, 1863, in reply to your request concerning the remains of Major Robert Morris.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

RICHMOND, October 16, 1863,

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

SIR: I send to you Lieutenant-Colonel Irvine, New York, cavalry, in exchange for Lieutenant-Colonel Alston, delivered by the last flag - of - truce boat. You can declare him exchanged, and I will do the same to Lieutenant-Colonel Alston.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

RICHMOND, October 16, 1863.

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

SIR: I herewith inclose to you a declaration of exchange which I shall publish in a day or two. You will perceive it is based upon the declaration of exchange communicated to me in your letter of the 24th of September last. In my notice I have followed your phraseology. I would have preferred another form of declaration more in accordance with the circumstances of the case. Inasmuch, however, as my declaration to a considerable extent is retaliatory of yours, I have deemed it more appropriate to follow your own form of expression.

I have refrained from declaring exchanged the large residue of the Vicksburg capture. The only addition I have made to the notifications already given you, as far as that capture is concerned is the Fourth and Forty-sixth Mississippi Regiments.

According to my computation you are considerably in debt to me upon your exchange notice, even if I take in to consideration only such paroles as those to which no objection has

been made. I have adopted the principles of your general orders in the computation of the paroles in my possession and will continue to do so until some other agreement is made between us. I reserve to myself the right to make further declarations of exchange from time to time, based upon the paroles in my office, until I have declared exchanged a number of Confederate soldiers equal to that of Federal troops declared exchanged by your last notice. At the same time I express my entire willingness to adopt any fair, just, and reciprocal rule of computation and apply the same both to the past and the future.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.