of Wild, which Colonel H. will show you, they refuse to treat them as prisoners of war, though regularly commissioned by law. They have also murdered several soldiers and have arrested two respectable ladies, whom they keep handcuffed as hostages for two negro soldiers and declare their purpose to hang them in case the negroes are hung. I must ask you to see if some arrangement cannot to made to include these troops within the cartel of exchange, and repress, if possible, this horrible, cowardly, and damnable disposition on the part of the enemy to put women in irons as hostages for negro soldiers. Such men as this Wild are a disgrace to the manhood of the age; not being able to capture soldiers, they war upon defenseless women. Great God! what an outrage. There is no reason why those men are not entitled to be treated as prisoners of war. If it is not done and these outrages upon defenseless females continue I shall retaliate upon Yankee soldiers to the full extent of my ability and let the consequences rest with the damnable barbarians who began it.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Z. B. VANCE.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF HENRICO,
Richmond, Va., December 29, 1863.

General J. H. WINDER, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: In obedience to command of Honorable Secretary of War I report the following-named U. S. officers, prisoners of war, who had more than $500 when captured: Lieutenant D. L. Wright, Fifty-first Indiana Regiment, $680; Lieutenant Ira Tyler, One hundred and eighteenth Illinois Regiment, $617. 20.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. MORFIT,

Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.

[Indorsement.]

JANUARY 12, 1864.

Respectfully returned to the Honorable Secretary of War.

I respectfully recommend that no ultimate decision be made in this matter until certain inquiries already made be answered, or at least until sufficient time be given for such answer.

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

Brigadier General S. A. Meredith, U. S. agent of exchange, makes inquiry as to what has become of $15 in gold sent to William S. Scudder, Federal prisoner of war.

[Indorsement.]

DECEMBER 30, 1863.

Respectfully returned to Brigadier General S. A. Meredith, agent of exchange, requesting attention to inclosed copy of receipt from Captain Winder. *

The money is on deposit with the prison quartermaster, Captain Morfit, and that fact was indorsed on the letter when it was sent to the prisoner.

W. H. HATCH,

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

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* Not found.

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