wounded officers and men of your army for men of my command. The flag with your reply has not yet returned, therefore I am unable to determine the disposition to be made of them. I take advantage of the opportunity afforded by the return of Lieutenant-Colonel Hepburn, the bearer of the second flag, to say that unless exchanged for, I of course will have to retain them for regular exchange through the usual channel.

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

N. B. FORREST,

Major-General.

OFFICE OF EXCHANGE,

Headquarters, New Orleans, September 3, 1864.

Major IG. SYMANSKI,

C. S. Agent of Exchange, Trans-Mississippi Department:

MAJOR: I have the honor to inclose herewith two communications from Lieutenant Colonel N. G. Watts, C. S. agent of exchange, from which you will learn that the exchange lately proposed by me of the officers and men of the C. S. Navy and Marine Corps captured in Mobile Bay for the officers and men of the U. S. Navy held prisoners in your department is authorized by him. * Also that he has agreed to exchange for the garrison of Fort Gaines an equivalent of the prisoners of the U. S. Army now held in your department.

I also inclose to you an enumeration, by rank and grade, of the several classes of prisoners held by us who are to be exchanged under this arrangement.

You will perceive that the prisoners to be exchanged by you are to be delivered at Red River Landing, those by us at or near Vicksburg, Miss.

I am disappointed that I have not, before this time, received notice from you of a day when you would deliver to me the equivalent for the officers and men of the Louisiana brigade to be exchanged under our cartel of July 28. It does not seem to me necessary that any lists should be forwarded beforehand. It is as well that the lists of the members of the Louisiana brigade exchanged for should be furnished me at the time of the delivery of the equivalent for them.

I take the liberty, therefore, to suggest, if the prisoners to be exchanged for the Louisiana brigade shall not, when you receive this, be already en route for the place of delivery, that you forward them as soon as practicable, together with the prisoners to be exchanged under the arrangement with Colonel Watts, and that you give me two or three days previous notice of the day when you will have them at the place of delivery. If at the same time I have notice that you bring an equivalent to exchange for the paroled men of the Louisiana brigade now in this city, list of whom I have already forwarded to you, I will bring them with me and deliver them at the same time.

I have a list of the prisoners of war or-General Steele from the forces of General Smith prior to July 15. They number only 228 officers and men. I have as yet no arrangement with General Steele as to the time and place of their exchange, but that exchange can be arranged for hereafter.

I have the honor to inclose to you a copy of a letter from the commissioner of exchange at Washington, from which you will learn that the prisoners mentioned in the second and third articles of our cartel

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*Papers not found as inclosures, but see Watts to Dwight August 22, p. 668, and subsequent correspondence.

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