at once through the regular military channel to department headquarters and the other retained by the officer making the capture.

In the present situation of affairs paroles had better not be given. The Federal authorities recognize no delivery of a paroled man, except at Vicksburg or City Point, unless made in accordance with an agreement between commanders of opposing armies. Where there are prisoners on both sides they can be exchanged, man for man, on the spot. The above instructions will be implicitly obeyed as thousands of prisoners have been lost by failing to comply with them. If captures are not correctly reported nothing is gained in making them.

II. The following exchanges have been made:

1. All officers and men captured and paroled at any time previous to September 1, 1863, except such as were captured at Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, and are not mentioned under the following heads:

2. The general officers captured at Vicksburg, July 4, 1863. The staff of Generals Pemberton, Stevenson, Bowen, Moore, Barton, S. D. Lee, Cumming, Harris, and Baldwin, and of Colonels Reynolds, Cockrell, and Dockery; the officers and men of Steventson's division, Bowen's division, Moore's brigade, Waul's Legion, and the Second Texas Regiment. The officers and men of the engineer corps, sappers and miners, and the Fourth and Forty-sixth Mississippi Regiments, all captured at Vicksburg July 4, 1863. All officers and men captured at Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, who reported at Enterprise, Miss., at any time prior to the 14th of November, 1863, and whose names were forwarded by Major General J. H. Forney to the commissioners of exchange.

3. All civilians who have been arrested at any time before the 6th of May, 1863, and released on parole are released from any and very obligation contained is said paroled. If any such person has taken an oath of allegiance to the United States or given any bond or if his release has been accompanied with any other condition he is discharged from the same.

4. All prisoners heretofore held by the United States, whether officers, soldiers, or civilians, received at City Point before the 1st of January, 1864.

By command of General E. Kirby Smith:

S. S. ANDERSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL BUTLER'S HEADQUARTERS,

May 29, 1864-7 p. m. (Received 8. 39 a. m. 30th.)

Honorable STANTON, Secretary of War:

The following is an extract from the Richmond Examiner of 27th instant: "Trains commenced running regularly on the Petersburg railroad yesterday, 26th. " It will be seen, therefore, that we have held the road for three weeks, May 5 to 26. Our prisoners in Richmond are on half rebel rations. So are the rebel soldiers.

B. F. BUTLER,

Major-General, Commanding.

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 29, 1864.

Major General H. W. HALLECK,

Chief of Staff, Washington, D. C.:

GENERAL: In reply to your communication of the 26th instant, calling my attention to an extract from a report of Colonel Marcy,