New York Times of October 22, herewith inclosed. Officers taken in Lake Pontchartrain by the rebels have been exchanged.

Very respectfully,

D. G. FARRAGUT,

Rear-Admiral.

The Penguin has just arrived here from Texas, and I have received from Captain Le Roy, the commanding officer of the Texas blockade division, a tabular statement furnished to him by the rebel authorities, by which you will perceive they have only 22 officers and 268 men; the 19 minor officers there mentioned are only petty officers.

D. G. F.

[Inclosure.]

RICHMOND, VA., October 25, 1864.

Fleet Surg. D. B. CONRAD, C. S. Navy:

Your letter received. All surgeons are now unconditionally released by both sides; none are now held by either. This is the present understanding, and we now hold none as prisoners of war. Mr. Ould states that you are unconditionally released. The proposition to release naval hospital and surgeons' stewards unconditionally is accepted, and orders will be given to release any we have at once. All naval prisoners of war have been exchanged, including those captured at Mobile, but the latter are not yet delivered.

S. R. MALLORY,

Secretary of Navy.

HEADQUARTERS POST AND C. S. MILITARY PRISONS,
Richmond, November 2, 1864.

General S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General:

GENERAL: By your direction I have the honor to make the following statement of the condition of affairs at the military prison at Florence, S. C.:

Two or three months ago some 6,000 Federal prisoners of war were sent there, from whence or by whom I did not know. The number of guards to receive them was about 125 South Carolina reserves, totally inadequate for the duty. the prisoners broke through the lines, and from 400 to 600 made their escape and plundered the citizens in the vicinity of the camp. On the morning that they were put in the stockade all the citizens from the surrounding country were assembled, with such arms as they could get, as the prisoners had threatened that they would not go into it.

Lieutenant-General Hardee, without my knowledge, has given permission to Colonel Daniel, of the Fifth Georgia Regiment, to fill up his companies with such prisoners as should take the oath of allegiance and enter our service. About 1,000 of them enlisted, and have been carried away to some place unknown to me by one of General Hardee's inspectors.

I recently sent Captain Rutherford to inspect this and other prisons in the State, and to put into operation some very important orders necessary for the conduct of my business, and am informed that General Hardee has sent orders to Colonel Harrison, the commandant, not to obey him except in matters of detail. These facts are reported to me by Lieutenant Barrett, of the Fifth Georgia, on duty at the prison, and an officer with whom I am personally acquainted.