INSP. General 'S OFFICE, DIST. OF WESTERN LOUISIANA,

In the Field, May 14, 1864.

Colonel C. C. DWIGHT,

Acting Assistant Inspector-General, Commissioner, &c.:

COLONEL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of 11th instant.

Major-General Taylor instructs me to convey his gratification at the disclaimer by Major-General Banks of the detention, as prisoners of war, of Surgeon Gibbs and his associates.

Instructions similar to those given by Major-General Banks relative to the status and treatment of surgeons, nurses, and attendants on the sick and wounded have been given by Major-General Taylor.

Inclosed I have the honor to submit copy of a communication from Surgeon Wilcox, U. S. Army, senior surgeon in charge of the wounded prisoners of Major-General Banks' army who are at Mansfield.

Major-General Taylor instructs me to state that considerations of humanity would prompt an immediate compliance with the request and suggestions of Surgeon Wilcox, but when thus influenced in the case of the sick and wounded who were captured by our forces in June last at Brashear City, paroled, sent into your lines, delivered to your military authorities, and receipts given for them, the paroles were pronounced invalid by Major-General Banks, and the men released from their obligation and placed on duty on an alleged noncompliance on our part with some technicality. Before acceding to the proposition of Surgeon Wilcox, Major-General Taylor must have the consent of Major-General Banks to receive them and his assurance that the paroles shall be recognized as binding until the prisoners thus delivered shall be duly exchanged in accordance with the provisions of our cartel of January 4, 1864. An early answer upon this subject is requested. Herewith I take pleasure in forwarding a package of letters from some of the prisoners who are in our hands.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILL. M. LEVY,

Major, Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General, Commissioner, &c.

[Inclosure.]

MANSFIELD, LA., May 11, 1864.

Major E. SURGET,

Assistant Adjutant-General, District of Western Louisiana:

SIR: I have the honor to apply through you to the commanding general of the Confederate forces of this department for his permission to have the sick and wounded troops of the U. S. forces, now prisoners at this place, paroled and forwarded in the usual military form through the Confederate lines into the lines of the U. S. forces, also a sufficient number of the nurses now in attendance upon them to give them necessary care in transportation, together with the U. S. medical officers in charge thereof, under the superintendence of your medical director.

The following reasons have, after consultation with the medical officers in charge, induced me to make the foregoing application:

First. A number of the men are permanently disabled for military service, and would be discharged as soon as returned.

Second. A large number are temporarily disabled for months, and by being paroled and furnished with good hospital accommodations in our lines may recover; which it is reasonable to suppose they will not with the depressing influence of being prisoners acting upon them.

Third. The season of year is approaching when epidemics and malarial diseases are most liable to prevail in this climate, and such change of