WASHINGTON, CITY, D. C., February 8, 1864.

Major General B. F. BUTLER,

Commanding, &c., Fort Monroe, Va.:

SIR: It has been intimated from Richmond that if we will consent to exchange General Lee and two officers of the grade of captain the rebel authorities will give us General Dowand Captains Sawyer and Flinn, the exchange can be made, and General Lee will be sent to you for the purpose.

By order of the Secretary of War:

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. A. HITCHCOCK,

Major General of Vols. and Commissioner for Exchange of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., February 8, 1864.

Brigadier General G. J. STANNARD,

Commanding U. S. Forces, City and Harbor, N. Y.:

GENERAL: In consequence of the crowded condition of the prisoners at Fort Lafayette, by authority of the Secretary of War, I have respectfully to request you will order the officers of the rebel army held at that fort as prisoners of war to Fort McHenry, Baltimore, with the following exceptions: Major General Franklin Gardner, Brigadier General W. H. F. Lee, and Captain R. H. Tyler. I have also to request you will order thirty-five of the citizen prisoners from Fort Lafayette to Fort Warren, Boston Harbor. Please order officers and enlisted men of the old army at Fort Columbus to be transferred to Fort McHenry, and officers horse men of the rebel navy to Fort Lafayette. Should any of the prisoners ordered to Fort McHenry, being invalids, require to be placed in hospital, please order them to the West's Buildings Hospital, at Baltimore. This transfer is not made with a view specially to exchange, and it embraces all, whether desiring exchange or not. Have notice given to the commanders of Forts McHenry and Warren.

Very respectfully, your obedient sergeant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS POST OF CHICAGO,
Chicago, Ill., February 8, 1864.

Co. WILLIAM HOFFMAN,

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

COLONEL: In reply to your letter of January 4, requesting the whole matter of rations to be thoroughly investigated, to ascertain how far and in what articles the provisions furnished have been inferior in quality to what is required by the contract; to what extent and in what articles the issues have been short in the number of rations and the weight of the articles, and to whose gain these deficiencies in quality and quantity inured, I have the honor to report that I have had the whole matter of rations thoroughly investigated and have gathered all the evidence and information I could find, and have arrived