General Banks that Mr. Pratt, in accordance with the liberal views he has expressed relative to non- combatants, is entitled to be released and that he will be permitted to return to his home.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. TAYLOR,

Major- General, Commanding District of Western Louisiana.

OFFICE COMMISSARY- GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C. January 5, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel W. S. PIERSON,

Commanding Depot Prisoners of War, Sandusky, Ohio:

COLONEL: The following is a copy of a telegram which I sent you:

WASHINGTON, D C. January 5, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel . W. S . PIERSON,

Commanding Depot Prisoners of War, Sandusky, Ohio:

Divide the officers prisoners of war into parties of 500, taking a proportional number from each grade and make duplicate parole- rolls, not signed, of each party, without delay. When will the first set of rolls be completed!

W. HOFFMAN,

Commissary- General of Prisoners.

The division of the prisoners of war into parties and preparing rolls of them is with a view to transferring them South, and while you are making up the rolls you will at the same time make all necessary arrangements for the movements in parties of 500, of probably an interval of forty- eight hours between them. The transportation will be provided for in this city, and you will only have to attend to getting the parties and their baggage from the island to the cars. Their baggage should be taken over before they leave, and you should have large sleighs prepared, two together, with a platform to carry over the sick and feeble. They will take with them cooked rations for the journey of perhaps two days. Each party will be accompanied with a guard of one company made up to 100 men. Select the most efficient and reliable captains in your command. The guard of the first detachment will probably return before the third detachment leaves. Instruct the officer in charge not to allow the prisoners to leave the coarse, or to have communication with any one by the way. He will take a receipt for all prisoners delivered, and will account for by name all who may not be delivered. The direction in which the movement is to be accomplished and the time of starting will be indicated to you when all needful preparations are completed.

Very resentfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary- General of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MONONGAHELA,
Pittsburgh, Pa., January 6, 1864.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN,

Commissary- General of prisoners, Washington, D. C.:

COLONEL: I infer from your letter of the 17th that there is no immediate prospect of the prisoners of war being removed from the Western penitentiary in Allegheny. If this surmise is correct I hope some instructions may be sent in regard to their confinement. on their