sent at your desire to Knoxville, to be released according to agreement, and Captain Battle will be exchanged for Captain Shad. harris.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. A. HITCHOCK,

Major-General of Volunteers.

FORT DELAWARE, December 23, 1864.

Brigadier-General WESSELLS,

Commissary-General of Prisoners:

Below find list of officers placed in close confinement. Captain J. P. Brown, Fourth Tennessee Cavalry; Captain W. G. Stewart, Fifth South Carolina; First Lieutenant R. J. Brailsford, First Texas Legion; First Lieutenant R. H. C. Bailey, Foster's cavalry; First Lieutenant A. W. Dozier, Sixth South Carolina Cavalry; Second Lieutenant T. O. Lockhart, Thirty-second Alabama.

A. SCHOEPF,

Brigadier-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES,
December 24, 1864.

Judge R. OULD, Agent of Exchange:

I am informed that there is quite a number of Federal prisoners in Richmond who are suffering from want of proper clothing. I would respectfully request the authority to send for their benefit a few hundred blankets, and ask that a commissioned officer from among the prisoners be allowed to receive and distribute them.

If my request in this matter can be acceded to I will be pleased to learn at what point and at what time they will be received, and the name of the officer designated to receive the clothing.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
Washington, December 24, 1864.

Brigadier General H. E. PAINE,

Numbers [48] Bleecker Street, New York:

GENERAL: In reply to Colonel Tracy's letter, referred by you, I am directed by the Secretary of War to say that distributions of clothing, &c., to rebel prisoners will be made under general direction, assisted by such officers at each camp as you may select, the articles being distributed and receipted for by officers, no commissioned officers, or privates selected for that purpose by General Beall, as specified in the agreement and in your instructions.

In regard to the anticipated attempt to make a distinction in these distributions, giving or withholding them from particular individuals according to the degree of their disloyalty or hostility to the United States, it hardly seems necessary to say that you will permit no such distinctions, for it would be virtually permitting the enemy to exercise and enforce a certain jurisdiction and authority within our lines and hostile to our Government.

All official papers on this subject have been placed in your hands, and in selecting you for this duty it was presumed that you would