1st of December, as far as reports are received, which will be forwarded to you in the hope of receiving a similar one in return from Mr. Ould.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Co and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., November 9, 1863.

Brigadier General S. A. MEREDITH,

Commissioner for the Exchange of Prisoners, Fort Monroe, Va.:

GENERAL; Your reference of a note of Captain Tyler of October 8, indorsed by Mr. Ould October 30, making inquiry as to reasons of Captain Tyler's close confinement, is received, and I have to say that Captain Tyler is in error in his reference to Captain Winder as having been held as a hostage for Captains Sawyer and Flinn. We hold no prisoners of war by the name and rank referred to. Captain Tyler, instead of Winder, was placed in close confinement at the Old Capitol by order of the General-in-Chief when General Lee was likewise so confined at Fort Monroe. I find upon inquiry of the commissioner for the exchange of prisoners that you have been informed that Captain Sawyer had been placed on a footing with other prisoners in Richmond, but nothing was said by mr. Ould of Captain Flinn; upon which you were directed to place General Lee on the same footing with Captain Sawyer, so far as you had satisfactory information on the subject, and now I understand that Captain Tyler will be placed on the same footing as that of Captain Flinn. I will thank you, therefore, to make inquiry of Mr. Ould on this point, but with the understanding that if Captains S. and F. have been placed on a footing of other prisoners the grounds upon which they were closely confined have been abandoned; other wise they may be reconfined or others may be closely confined in their stead. Ask Mr. Ould (in writing and obtain his answer in writing) whether the questions involved in the close confinement of Captains Flinn and Sawyer are to be considered as definitely settled, so that they will be treated in all respects as ordinary prisoners of war, and no others closely confined on the same ground upon which they were placed in close confinement.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., November 9, 1863.

Brigadier General S. A. MEREDITH,

Commissioner for Exchange of Prisoners, Fort Monroe, Va.:

GENERAL: As You may wish to refer to the letters of Mr. Ould to which I have replied in my letter of this date, I inclose them herewith. You are at liberty to send my letter to Mr. Ould as an answer to his inquiries, if you think proper. I have some of his papers yet to be replied to.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.