move them into Vicksburg, and earnestly request you to grant us this privilege as it will relieve both Governments of an unnecessary expense; and it being the duty of every good officer as well as every good government to provide as well as it can for the care of its wounded, I feel it my duty to send for these men, and trust that you will permit them to be brought to Vicksburg. Doctor Tompkins, in charge of flag of truce, is also desirous of obtaining the body of his brother-in-law, buried near Jackson, Miss. I trust you will permit him to bring it with him, as no inconvenience can arise to you, and it will be personally gratifying to him.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. McARTHUR,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO,
March 23, 1864.

Lieutenant General J. LONGSTREET,

Commanding Confederate Forces, East Tennessee:

GENERAL: In reply to your communication of the-, proposing an exchange of prisoners, I have the honor to inform you that I am now prepared to offer an exchange of citizens held as prisoners by the United States for an equal number of citizens held as prisoners by the Confederate authorities, and I inclose herewith lists of prisoners whose exchange is proposed. *

If you will accept this proposition and will send the prisoners within named within our lines, I will in return send those named within your lines, or release them with permission to remain within our lines if they prefer to so remain and there be no good reason for sending them beyond. If it should be found that any of those named in either list have been released, or exchanged, or are dead, then an equal number of other prisoners of the same character to be substituted for them.

You have a number of citizen prisoners in excess of those held by me.

Permit me to suggest, in the interest of humanity, that this excess be paroled and sent within my lines. Their detention can do your cause no good nor mine any harm. Their release can do you no harm provided they be sent beyond your lines. If you determine upon this humane course toward the Union citizens of East Tennessee your action will not be forgotten, but will be reciprocated upon those claiming to be Confederate citizens who reside within the limits now occupied, or which by the chances of war may hereafter be occupied, by this army.

I have the honor to inform you that my authority does not extend to the exchange of military prisoners.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

J. M. SCHOFIELD,

Major-General, Commanding.

[First indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
April 5, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded to the War Department with recommendation for exchange.

J. LONGSTREET,

Lieutenant-General, Commanding.

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*Omitted.

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