I have inclosed General W. Adams' indorsement on a copy of your letter of 16th instant to me in regard to some lessees, which I hope will be satisfactory to you.

With this is a letter from Doctor Kells, now acting surgeon with the flag and chief of the lunatic asylum at Jackson, to which I ask your serious consideration. I send this to the picket-post by Major J. A. Grant, assistant adjutant-general.

I am, general, your obedient servant,

N. G. WATTS,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent of Exchange of Prisoners.

[Indorsement.]

Colonel Bostwock will communicate with you for the purpose of carrying out the objects of the flag.

The major-general notices your expressions regarding the indorsement of General W. Adams; considers it very far from satisfactory, inasmuch as the citizens named in his communication were certainly carried from their homes by your scouts and are to be accounted for by you. I inclose a reply from Major-General Dana to the letter of Doctor Kells, which was received from you.

[Indorsement on letter of General Dana to Colonel Watts, dated October 16, 1864.]

HEADQUARTERS CENTRAL DISTRICT OF MISSISSIPPI,
Jackson, Miss., October 22, 1864.

Respectfully returned.

But six "lessees" have been brought to these headquarters. Of these, two, Messrs. Carman, escaped from the guard-house at this place, Messrs. D. Knight and R. Porter escaped from the guard-house at Canton. Messrs. Wright and Neems were delivered to Lieutenant-Colonel Watts for exchange. Nothing is known at these headquarters of the other parties mentioned.

By command of Brigadier-General Adams:

ALLEN T. BOWIE, JR.,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Inclosure.]

MISSISSIPPI STATE LUNATIC ASYLUM,

Jackson, Miss., October 22, 1864.

Major-General DANA,

Commanding U. S. Forces, Vicksburg, Miss.:

DEAR SIR: I take the earliest opportunity of communicating with you touching the interests of the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum.

When General Slocum first took command of the department you now occupy, I addressed him several letters, declaring my desire to obtain a permit to carry into Vicksburg 114 bales of cotton and exchange for such supplies as the institution might need. He very kindly consented to this proposal in order that the wants of a class might be provided for who may justly claim the sympathy and good will of every man that has within him a noble or generous impulse. Only twenty-seven bales of cotton have been exchanged under the permit, and I have to inform you that a valuable portion of the goods yet remain in Vicksburg, owing to the fact that I did not have sufficient transportation at the time of the purchase. In the meantime our lines were closed, and I was deprived of the opportunity of getting them out under the permit of General Slocum and while he was there. After this statement, I have respectfully to ask the privilege of you to be permitted to go into Vicksburg and bring out the goods belonging to the lunatic asylum.