named above, and my inability to surmise upon what ground your naval authorities have adopted that course, that the balance of the prisoners will be delivered, under your agreement with Colonel Watts, as soon as Major Szymanski will be ready to deliver equivalents.

With reference to Mr. Holley's statement, forwarded by you I will merely say that the statement is inaccurate in this, that I have in my possession eight letters with postscripts I his handwriting. I thank you, however, for the assurance that the wrong will not be repeated.

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

JAMES R. CURELL,

Assistant Commissioner of Exchange.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington City, November 16, 1864-11. 30 p. m.

JOHN ODELL:

(Care of Bunker, New York.)

You are hereby directed to arrest Beverly Tucker wherever found within the United States and hand him over to General Dix, to be confined in Fort Lafayette.

By order of the President:

C. A. DANA,

Assistant Secretary of War.

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, Va., November 16, 1864.

General D. H. MAURY, Mobile, Ala.:

GENERAL: Under an agreement made between Colonel Robert Ould, commissioner of exchange, acting on behalf of the Confederate Government, and Lieutenant General U. S. Grant, acting on behalf of the Government of the United States, 1,000 bales of cotton are to be sent out from Mobile and laden on board of a vessel which will be provided by the Federal authorities, in the bay, near their lines. N. Hamilton Brown, agent of the War Department, will provide the cotton and have it carried out to the above-mentioned vessel upon such lighters as you can command and place at his disposal. He will receive full instructions from Lieutenant Colonel Thomas L. Bayne.

This cotton will be sent out to provide our prisoners of war with shoes, blankets, &c. It will be consigned to our Major-General Trimble, or in case of his disability to Brigadier General W. N. R. Beall, New York City.

General Grant states that the Federal commander in Mobile Bay will be instructed to notify you when he is ready to receive the cotton.

The object of making the shipment will commend itself to your kindest consideration, and I trust that you will have Mr. Brown provided with all transportation and other facilities necessary t to carry out the agreement.

Very respectfully,

JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

NAVY DEPARTMENT, November 17, 1864.

Major General B. F. BUTLER,

Commissioner for Exchange, Fort Monroe:

SIR: Every fresh arrival from Texas gives additional evidence of the sufferings of our prisoners in that quarter and suggests the importance of relieving them at the earliest possible day.