HEADQUARTERS C. S. ARMIES, February 18, 1865.

Lieutenant General U. S. GRANT, Commanding U. S. Armies:

GENERAL: I have received your letter of the 16th instant, and have submitted your proposition to release citizens held as prisoners by either party to the Secretary of War. I shall be glad if some arrangement have no knowledge of the facts mentioned in the extract from the newspaper, but will direct inquiry to be made. I gave no order for the arrest of any citizen, and if it be true that those mentioned were taken by any of our forces I presume they are held as hostages generally for persons of the same class in the custody of the Federal authorities and not for particular individuals.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. E. LEE,

General.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., February 18, 1865.

Captain S. E. JONES, Provost-Marshal, Louisville, Ky.:

CAPTAIN: I am directed by the Commissary-General of Prisoners to inquire if there is a female military prison or hospital under your charge at Louisville distinct from the regular military prison and hospital, and to request, if such is the case, that you will report the number of prisoners confined there and the number of employees connected with it to this office.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. GLADDEN,

Major, Second Mass. Cav., Asst. to Com. General of Prisoners.

[Indorsement.]

LOUISVILLE, KY., February 23, 1865.

Respectfully returned to Brigadier General W. Hoffman, Commissary-General of Prisoners, with the information that there is no female prison or hospital under my charge, but that there is one at this place under command of the post commandant, organized under orders from Brevet Major-General Burbridge, commanding District of Kentucky. it is learned from the officer in immediate charge (whose reports are inclosed herewith*) that there are 20 women and 14 children confined in it, and 1 doctress, 1 stewardess, and 1 orderly connected with the hospital department, and 1 commissioned officer, 2 non-commissioned officers, and from 7 to 11 privates acting as guards of the prison.

STEPHEN E. JONES,

Captain and Additional Aide-de-Camp.

RICHMOND, February 18, 1865.

Honorable J. C. BRECKINRIDGE, Secretary of War:

SIR: I have the honor to request that you will kindly inform me (if in your judgment it may be proper to do so) if there is a prospect of the reprieve or commutation of sentence of Lieutenant S. B. Davis by the United States Government. I am assured positively that two communications.

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*Omitted.

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