HEADQUARTERS FORT LAFAYETTE,
New York Harbor, January 6, 1865.

Brigadier General H. W. WESSELLS,

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

SIR: Brigadier-General Beall, C. S. Army, was turned over to me as a prisoner last night by Brigadier-General Paine, U. S. Army, by order of Major-General Halleck, U. S. Army. Shall I restrict him to the actual rations of prisoners of war like all the rest, or shall I allow him to make purchases for his own use, as he appears to be off parole only until the cotton arrives?

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

MARTIN BURKE,

Lieutenant-Colonel, U. S. Army, Commanding.

[First indorsement.]

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., January 10, 1865.

Respectfully submitted to the Secretary of War for consideration.

H. W. WESSELLS,

Brigadier General, U. S. Vols., Inspector and Com. General of Prisoners.

[Second indorsement.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, January 12, 1865.

Returned to the Commissary-General of Prisoners.

General Beall is to be treated precisely like any other prisoner of war. By order of the Secretary of War:

C. A. DANA,

Assistant Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS FORREST'S CAVALRY CORPS,
In the Field, January 6, 1865.

Major-General DANA,

Commanding U. S. Forces, Memphis, Tenn.:

GENERAL: I have the honor herewith to transmit copies of communications between Major-General Rousseau and myself relative to an exchange of prisoners.* The arrangement or agreement failed on account of the defeat of our army at Nashville, and about 1,600 Federal prisoners captured by the cavalry of my command still remain in my possession. Accompanying his written communication I received a verbal message from Major-General Rousseau through Captain McConnell, of his staff, requesting "that Lieutenant-Colonel Grass, of the Sixty-first Illinois, be treated as kindly as circumstances would permit, as he was a high-toned gentleman, a brave soldier, and a magnanimous foe." Since his capture Colonel Grass has remained at my headquarters, and is now released upon parole and accompanies my adjutant-general, Major J. P. Strange, to Memphis under a flag of truce with these dispatches, for the purpose of effecting an exchange for Colonel E. W. Rucker, of my command, who was captured and wounded during the recent engagement in front of Nashville. You are no doubt aware also of an agreement made between Major-General Washburn and myself for

---------------

*See Forrest to Rousseau and Rousseau to Forrest, December 16, 1864, Vol. VII, this series, p. 1233.

---------------