OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., March 25, 1864.

Brigadier General A. SCHOEPF, Commanding Fort Delaware, Del.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to request you will inform Colonel Basil W. Duke, a prisoner of war at Fort Delaware, in reply to his communication of the 11th instant, that a proposition for his exchange can not be entertained whilst so many others are entitled to precedence of him.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WESTERN LOUISIANA,
OFFICE COMMISSIONER OF EXCHANGE,

March 25, 1864.

Colonel C. C. DWIGHT, Commissioner of Exchange,

on the part of Major-General Banks, U. S. Army:

COLONEL: I am instructed by Major-General Taylor, commanding District of Western Louisiana, to call your attention to the cartel of January 4, 1864, entered into between you and myself, as commissioners, and that of December [12], 1863, between Colonel Molineux and myself in the same capacity, the latter of which was approved by Major-General Banks, commanding Department of the Gulf.

Under the provisions of the last-mentioned cartel I delivered to Major-General Franklin (on parole) about 450 prisoners of war, being the excess in the hands of Major-General Taylor over those in the hands of Major-General Franklin. Under the terms and provisions of the cartel of January 4, 1864, we mutually agreed to exchange as far as they would go the prisoners belonging to their commands respectively captured from each other's forces by those of Major-General Banks and Major-General Taylor. We have furnished each other with lists of the prisoners in the hands of the commanding generals whom we represent.

As a number of prisoners have been recently captured by the command of Major-General Banks from that of Major-General Taylor, who will, with those previously in your hands, probably exhaust the excess delivered to Major-General Franklin, I have to request, in behalf of Major-General Taylor, that you will deliver either at your own or our advanced outpost the prisoners in the hands of Major-General Banks captured from our army. The non-delivery of the officers and men captured at Fort Butler and elsewhere from Major-General Taylor's forces has prevented the delivery of the prisoners in our hands captured from Major-General Banks' forces prior and subsequent to the date of our cartel of January 4, 1864, but the delivery of these prisoners in accordance with the terms and spirit of that cartel will be made whenever you indicate the time and place for such delivery as provided in the same.

I have also to request that you will inform me if Captain C. LeD. Elgee, acting assistant adjutant and inspector general on the staff of Major-General Taylor, commanding district of Western Louisiana, has fallen into your hands. He has been missing since the affair at James' Store, Bayou Cotile, on the night of Monday, 21st instant. If he is a prisoner I have to request, in behalf of Major-General Taylor, that he may be exchanged at once for any officer whom you select of similar