CITY POINT, VA., March 14, 1865.

General HOFFMAN, Washington, D. C.:

My dispatch to the Secretary of War applied to prisoners of war. Continuous reports of men being retained in irons are brought by prisoners going forward for exchange. I made a proposition applying to citizens, but received no reply. There are, I believe, a large number of prisoners in irons at Alton, Ill., who have been sentenced by military commission, who should be released under th agreement made.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.

WASHINGTON, March 14, 1865.

Lieutenant-General GRANT:

Repeated orders have been issued directing all rebel prisoners in close confinement or in irons to be forwarded for exchange. It is not known that there are any now so held. Your telegram of the 23rd ultimo directs that citizen prisoners awaiting trail or under sentence shall be held till furhter orders. I write by mail.

Respectfully,

W. HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners.

WASHINGTON, March 14, 1865.

Major General E. R. S. CANBY,

Commanding Military Division of West Mississippi, New Orleans, La.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th ultimo, informing me of the delivery into your hands of naval prisoners lately held in Texas to be exchanged for Admiral Ruchanan and other prisoners belonging to the rebel Navy. In reply I have the honor to inform you that Admiral Buchanan was, by order of Lieutenant-General Grant, forwarded for exchange to City Point on the 18th ultimo, and he is now within the rebel lines.

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

W. HOFFMAN,

Bvt. Brigadier General, U. S. Army, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., March 14, 1865.

Major General E. R. S. CANBY,

Commanding Military Division of West Mississippi, New Orleans, La.:

GENERAL: Lieutenant-General Grant desires that all citizen prisoners whose homes are within the rebel lines, against whom there are no serious charges, or who are not under sentence and who wish to be exchanged, shall be delivered for this purpose as early as practicable, and I have the honor to request that you will give the necessary orders for the delivery on parole of all such prisoners now in confinement at any station in the Military Division of West Mississippi, and please direct that afte they are forwarded rolls be sent to this office of all who remain in confinement, with the charges under which they are held.

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

W. HOFFMAN,

Bvt. Brigadier General, U. S. Army, Commissary-General of Prisoners.