CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, November 13, 1863.

Brigadier-General MEREDITH, Agent of Exchange:

SIR: Colonel R. H. Lee is now, or was a short time since, a prisoner of war in Washington in 1862. This wound and a chronic dysentery of several years standing has very greatly impaired his health. He cannot outlive a protracted confinement. He has not been in active military service for a long time and never can be again. At the time of his capture he was a member of a permanent military court. I propose to exchange him for any wounded officer of yours of the same rank in our hands. We have a wounded colonel of yours, Colonel W. B. McCreery, Twenty-first Michigan, who was wounded at Chickamauga. He is doing very well and nearly recovered from his wounds. If there is any other colonel in our hands who even approaches the condition of Colonel Lee, you can select him. This application is made purely on the score of humanity. *

Respectfully,&c.,

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

[First indorsement.]

OFFICE COMMISSIONER OF EXCHANGE,

Fort Monroe, Va., November 13, 1863.

Respectfully referred to Colonel William Hoffman, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

S. A. MEREDITH,

Brigadier-General of Commissioner for Exchange.

[Second indorsement.]

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

November 24, 1863.

Respectfully referred to the Secretary of War.

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

[Third indorsement.]

WASHINGTON, November 28, 1863.

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON:

I respectfully recommend that Colonel Lee be offered in exchange for Colonel Powell.

E. A. HITCHCOCK,

Major-General of Volunteers, Commissioner, &c.

JUDGE-ADVOCATE-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

November 14, 1863.

Captain HUNTER BROOKE, Judge-Advocate:

CAPTAIN: Your letter of the 3rd instant has been received and submitted to the consideration of the Secretary of War, who instructs me to say that under the circumstances as stated by you Frank B. Gurleyis clearly triable for the murder of General McCook, and for any other

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*See indorsement of Davis and Seddon, November 11, p. 502.

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