[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES, City Point, Va., October 13, 1864.

Respectfully submitted to Major General B. F. Butler for his action.

By command of Lieutenant-General Grant:

T. S. BOWERS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Inclosure.]

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., July 27, 1864.

Major General B. F. BUTLER, &c., Fort Monroe:

SIR: You are doubtless furnished with the circumstances connected with the destruction of the Alabama by the Kearsarge. The Alabama surrendered to the Kearsarge, but before she could be taken possession of sunk from the wounds received in the engagement. Some of her officers and crew were rescued by the Kearsarge, others were picked up by the British yacht Department and carried to England, and a few succeeded in reaching the coast of France.

Although a large number of them did not come into our possession actually, they had been surrendered to us, and must be looked upon as prisoners of war, as much so as were the officers and crew of the U. S. S. Mecedita, which surrendered to the iron-clads that came out of Charleston in January, 1863, who, although they were not taken possession of, were regarded as prisoners of war, and were duly exchanged, we having equivalents for them.

Will you, in behalf of this Department, bring this matter to the attention of Colonel Ould, agent for exchange, and notify him officially that the officers and crew of the Alabama at the time of her surrender are regarded by this Government as prisoners of war, and that we shall expect in exchange for them their equivalent of our officers and seamen imprisoned in the South or on parole. I inclose herewith copies of the report of Captains Winslow and Seemes relative to the action, and also of a board of officers appointed by the Department to examine into and report upon the status of the officers and crew of the Alabama. *

Very respectfully,

GIDEON WELLES,

Secretary of the Navy.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, October 10, 1864.

Major-General BUTLER,

Commanding Department of Virginia and North Carolina:

GENERAL: With reference to your communication of the 18th ultimo, in which regret is expressed that, in certain correspondence between General Hitchcock, Major Mulford, and Commissioner Ould, General Hitchcock did not address you instead of Major Mulford, I have to state that General Hitchcock reports that though on the occasion in question he was referred to by Major Mulford during your absence from your habitual station, yet all his communications to Major Mulford have been intended for you, and in most of them it has been so stated.

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

C. A. DANA,

Assistant Secretary of War.

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*Inclosure (here omitted) belong the Navy War Records.

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61 R R-SERIES II, VOL VII