I have the honor to inform you that the Confederate prisoners placed by me in retaliation upon Morris Island will be removed without delay to a corresponding place of safety within our lines.

You mention in your communication that these prisoners (Union) were not sent to Charleston for the purpose of being placed under fire. If this was the case it seems strange that the Confederate authorities could not have rectified the error during the three months in which they were exposed to our fire. Any measure you may in future exercise toward the Union prisoners in your power, whether of severity or leniency, will be reciprocated by me and corresponding change of treatment extended to the Confederate prisoners in my power. In the matter of exchange, I would state that I have at present no authority to make exchanges, either special or general, but will forward your communication in reference thereto to the U. S. authorities at Washington.

I have the honor, general, to remain, your obedient servant,

J. G. FOSTER,

Major-General, Commanding.

BUTLER'S HEADQUARTERS, October 18, 1864-9 p. m.

Colonel HOFFMAN:

Lieutenant-Colonel Mulford has delivered to the Confederate agent of exchange, Mr. Ould, 90 naval officers and men of the Confederate service. He has received 323 officers and men of our naval service, including 5 negroes, which he claims a real the negroes captured of our naval service. It is agreed between Ould and myself that I shall deliver any other naval prisoners which we have and he will deliver all the naval prisoners, black or white, that he has, and he desires from us a list of any others which are supposed to be in the possession of the Confederates.

He also wishes any other prisoners of their naval service which we have to be sent forward. He thinks there are some at Elmira and some at Fort Delaware. Please have inquiry made at our depots, because I am to deliver to him army equivalents, according to assimilated rank, for the excess. Please have these naval men assembled at Point Lookout so that I may take them when we go to Savannah.

Colonel Mulford will be in Annapolis on Thursday morning, immediately after which we shall embark as soon as possible all the invalid prisoners we can get up to 5,000, to be exchanged at Fort Pulaski for invalid prisoners in the hands of the Confederates.

Colonel Mulford has also 450 army prisoners, including 27 officers.

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. MILITARY PRISON,
Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Ind., October 18, 1864.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN,

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

COLONEL: I have the honor to transmit herewith report of Lieutenant J. W. Davidson, inspector of the camp, for the week ending October 15, 1864. As will be seen by the inclosed report, clothing and blankets have been supplied to the destitute prisoners to the extent required, with the exception of shoes, of which a sufficient quantity has not yet