The Secretary desires that care shall be taken in reference to any of the officers at the post who may have undue feeling in favor of the prisoners, and who might thoughthessly accord them privileges or convey information to or from them. Allusion is made in a certain letter to the wife of a Third Pennsylvania artillerist, who promised Mr. Clay not long since to write to his wife.

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

E. T. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HDQRS. MILITARY DISTRICT OF FORT MONROE,
Fort Monroe, Va., January 2, 1866.

General E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General:

GENERAL: I have the honor to report the prisoners Davis and Clay to be as well as usual, and to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 30th ultimo. In reference to that portion of it which refers to the wife of a Third Pennsylvania artillerist writing to Mrs. Clay, I would say that when Captain Titlow of that regiment was leaving the post, Mr. Clay asked him to have his - Titlow's - wife to Mrs. Clay and inform her of the fact of his being well. Mrs. T. did not see Clay, nor has he had conversation with her or any lady of the garrison. I was not aware of the circumstance until I saw Mrs. Clay's letter.

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

NELSON A. MILES,

Major-General of Volunteers, Commanding.

P. S.- The inclosed letter Davis desires forwarded.

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Saint Louis, January 2, 1866.

General J. E. JOHNSTON, Richmond, Va.:

DEAR GENERAL: Your note of December 27 is received. I had before received the protest of Captain Semmes, made at Mobile, which I promptly sent to General Grant, and I will give the same direction to your letter. The final terms at Greensborough being the same as those of Spotsylvania [Appomattox] the construction must be the same, and I feel assured that the Government of the United States will keep its faith, whatever that may legally be construed. The arrest of Semmes seems to have been made by the Navy Department, so that necessity President Johnson must pass on the case, he being the common superior to the Army and Navy.*

I am, with great respect, your obedient servant,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General.

[JANUARY 3, 1866.-For Stanton to Colfax, transmitting the record, including the testimony, finding, sentence, and action of the Executive thereon, in the court-martial in the trial of Benjamin G. Harris, see Executive Document, Numbers 14, House of Representatives, Thirty-ninth Congress, first session.]

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* Semmes was released April 7, 1866.

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