men who may be declared exchanged. Those to be declared exchanged will be taken from those who have been longest on parole. This is the mode in which declaration of exchange under present circumstances should be made.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., March 10, 1864.

Colonel WILLIAM P. RICHARDSON,

Commanding Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio:

COLONEL: Your letter of the 13th instant requesting authority to permit the prisoners at Camp Chase to purchase religious reading matter has been laid before the Secretary of War, by whom it has been approved. You will therefore permit such purchases to be made, being careful that the permission is in no way abused.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

JUDGE-ADVOCATE-GENERAL'S OFFICE, March 11, 1864.

The PRESIDENT:

The within named Frank Gurley was tried by a military commission upon the charge of murder:

Specification. -In this, that the said Frank Gurley, not being lawfully in the service of the so-called Confederate States, but being banded together with certain other citizens for the purpose of killing, robbing, and plundering Federal soldiers and loyal citizens of the United Sates, did feloniously shoot with a revolving pistol and kill Brigadier General Robert L. McCook, an officer in the service of the United States, without any provocation whatever, and while the said Brigadier General Robert L. McCook was lying sick and helpless in an ambulance. All this in the vicinity of the town of New Market, Madison County, Ala., and on or about the 5th day of August, 1862; all this in time of war.

The court rendered a verdict of guilty as charged and pronounced a sentence of death by hanging. General Thomas, who ordered the court, approved the proceedings and findings and sentence, but suspended execution, and "on account of the peculiar circumstances ad excitement under which the crime was committed, together with the previous and subsequent good character of the prisoner, as proved in evidence," respectfully recommends communication to "confinement in a penitentiary for five years. " The proof of the killing is undisputed.

On the 5th day of August, 1862, while sick and riding in an ambulance, about two miles in advance of his brigade, with an escort of nine men, General McCook was attacked by a party about 100 strong. When the attacking party was discovered the ambulance was turned about and the horses put to full speed in order to reach his brigade, which was supposed to be only half a mile to the rear. The escort immediately ran away, leaving the general with no attendant but Captain Brooke, who was riding in the ambulance with him. During the flight the cover of the ambulance was torn off by accident, leaving the cot, with the sick man upon it, clearly exposed to view. After going about three-quarters of a mile, finding escape impossible,