HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE JAMES,
September 25, 1864 - 8. 30 p. m.

Colonel HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington, D. D.:

I have made arrangements with Mr. Ould to give me at least 5,000 of our sick men in Georgia and South Carolina and take what equivalent we may have. I have offered to take them at Fort Pulaski, as an act of humanity, because I think that railroading through the Confederacy with such accommodations as they would get would bring many of them to their death. He will receive on the Mississippi or its tributaries, at such points as may be agreed upon, all the sick we may have at the Western caps, and will be glad to do it for the same reason.

After the boat load up the river we may as well send our balance down with the same transportation to Fort Pulaski. Please advise me, looking on the matter in the light of this dispatch.

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General and Commissioner of Exchange.

WASHINGTON, D. C., September 25, 1864.

Major-general BUTLER,

Commissioner for Exchange, Fort Monroe, Va.:

There are in the East about 80 invalid rebel officers and 1,200 men, and in the West about, 1,700 men who will not be fit for duty within sixty days. It will be most convenient to send those in the West down the Mississippi an those in the East to Fort Monroe.

W. HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH,
Hilton Head, S. C., September 25, 1864.

Major General E. A. HITCHCOCK,

Commissioner for Exchange of Prisoners:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 14th instant, stating that instructions had been given to effect the exchange of Commander Williams. U. S. Navy, Major A. J. Lewis, and Captain Bird. To guard, against a possible misunderstanding on your part as to my action, permit me to quote the last paragraph of your letter and to ask your attention to a brief statement in reply thereto. You state-

that paroles taken with a view of obtaining designated individuals in return are liable to introduce difficulty, and should no be considered the rule of practice. If the rebels desire to obtain the release of a particular individual, who may be of great value to them, an application should be made to that end by letter instead of sending an officer on parole who might not be considered as an equivalent.

I beg to say, in reply, that special exchange of individuals have not received any encouragement from me, nor have I in a single instance, as yet, initiated them. In each case the rebel authorities have availed themselves of meetings under flags of truce, to release such of our officers as they have specially paroled. These officers have proceeded to Washington and effected their special exchange without either assistance or hindrance on my part. I have not allowed my staff officers, who have represented me on such occasions, to either receipt for them or do any act committing the Government in any manner. I believe these orders have been faithfully obeyed. I did not conceive that I had the right to prevent a U. S. officer from coming under the protection