OFFICE COMMISSARY- GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., June 17, 1864.

Colonel B. J. SWEET, Commanding Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill.:

COLONEL: Your letter of the 13th instant, inclosing a note from Bishop Duggan, of Chicago, requesting permission for the Catholic clergy to visit the prisoners of war at Camp Doughal, is received. Please inform Bishop Duggan that the same rule is prescribed for Camp Douglas as for other camps where there are prisoners of war- that is, when any of the sick in hospital desire to see a clergyman, they are permitted to do so without regard to the particular denomination to which the minister belongs, and upon the Sabbath, if the prisoners desire it, they may have divine service by any clergyman they may select who is willing to preach to them, provided there is no special inconvenience attending it. But clergymen have nowhere had the privilege of visiting prisoners except t\when invited as above, and the rule cannot be extended at Camp Douglas.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary- General of Prisoners.

RED RIVER LANDING, June 17, 1864.

Major WILLIAM M. LEVY,

Asst. Adjt. and Inspector General, Commissioner of Exchange:

MAJOR: At our conference on the 31st of May ultimo the question of the paroles given by the soldiers of the command of Major-General Banks captured at Brashear City in June and July, 1863, was proposed and discussed between us. I understood you to say that if those paroles should be recognized and allowed by Major-General Banks, then Major-General Taylor would consent to extend the provisions of our cartel of January 4, 1864, to cover all captures made by and from his own and the forces of General Banks down to that date, viz, May 31, 1864, and that in pursuance of those provisions all the excess of prisoners in the hands of Major-General Taylor would be delivered on parole to Major-General Banks.

I reported this agreement as understood by me to Major- General Banks, and thereupon received from him full authority, in case the provisions of or cartel should be thus extended and the excess of prisoners in the hands of Major-General Taylor should be thus delivered, to acknowledge and allow the paroles in question, though the giving of such paroles and the delivery of prisoners upon them was not strictly regular.

You have to- day made satisfactory proof to me that prisoners of the command of Major-General Banks, to the number of 1,360, rated as privates, were actually captured at Brashear City and vicinity by the forces of Major-General Taylor in June and July, 1863, and were after being held for some ten days delivered at an outpost of our forces at Station, having been first paroled in the usual form and were receipted for by the officer commanding such outpost.

I was prepared to act and allow these paroles, such proof having been made, and I regret that the interposition of superior authority, or any lack of authority on your part, should prevent you from granting to me the extension of the provisions of the cartel of January 4, upon