of sending a flag was to ascertain when the hostages would be ready to be exchanged.

JOHN E. WOOL,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, May 25, 1862.

Major General B. HUGER,

Commanding Department of the Appomattox, Petersburg, Va.

GENERAL: I have received by flag of truce your communication of the 23rd instant.

I have made arrangements to have the privateersmen forwarded to you as soon as you can procure our hostages. Captain Milward, who goes with the flag, will wait for any communication you may have to make on the subject of this letter.

Colonel Roger W. Hanson, Second Kentucky Regiment, goes with the flag of truce on parole under the expectation of procuring an exchange for Colonel Corcoran, a hostage. This exchange if you should think proper to make it will in nowise interfere with the delivery of the privateersmen who have been placed subject to my orders and who will be released as I have promised as soon as you can comply with the arrangements suggested in your letter of the 23d; in a word the privateersmen shall be sent you as I have promised.

Second Lieutenant Spier Whitaker, of Chaepl Hill, N. C., accompanies the flag to procure an exchange with Second Lieutenant Noah N. Tyner, Fourteenth Iowa Regiment. If you agree to the arrangement and will promise to send me Lieutenant Tyner, Lieutenant Whitaker can go on his parole until Lieutenant Tyner reports to me at Fort Monroe, when he (Lieutenant Whitaker) will be released from his parole.

Captain H. H. Robertson, of the Confederate Army, also goes with the flag of truce to procure an exchange with Captain Bowman, Fifteenth Massachusetts Volunteers, now on parole in the North. If you agree to the exchange and release Captain Bowman from his parole Captain Robertson will be released from his parole.

I also send on Privates John d'Antignac, of Company B, Tenth Georgia Regiment, and Alexander E. Fosket, of the same company and regiment, taken at Yorktown.

Private R. A. Palmer, Third Georgia Volunteers, will be released and sent to you as soon as the condition of his wounds will permit him to travel.

If you do not agree to the exchanges of Colonel Hanson, Captain H. H. Robertson and Second Lieutenant Whitaker as proposed they will return with the flag of truce to Fort Monroe.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOHN E. WOOL,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, Va., May 25, 1862.

Captain MILWARD, Flag of Truce.

CAPTAIN: You will proceed with the flag of turce to City Pointand transmit your dispatches to Major-General Huger if he is in that vicinity. Petersburg hitherto has been his headquarters. If you find the general communicate to him that you will await his reply to my letter.