our confinement here as prisoners of war, being extremely desirous of returning to our homes and families, would beg that if it meets the approval of Your Excellency that you will cause to be administered to us an oath to the effect that we will not again bear arms against the Southern Confederate and upon the administration of such oath allow us to return.

Hoping that the above may meet with the approval and indorsement of Your Excellency, we remain, your obedient humble servants,

Henry M. Johnson, First New Hampshire Regiment, Nashua, N. H. ; Oliver M. Sawyer, First New Hampshire Regiment, Nashua, N. H. ; Manuel C. Causten, M. D., President's Military Guard, of Washington, D. C. ; Llewellyn C. Parker, First New Hampshire Regiment, Nashua, N. H. ; C. H. Ripley, First New Hampshire Regiment, Nshua, N. H. ; Chas. E. Hawkshurst, Second Connecticut Regiment, Derby, Conn. ; Henry T. Pease, First New Hampshire Regiment, Nashua, N. H. ; Austin G. Monroe, Second Connecticut Regiment, Norwich, Conn. [And many others.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, July 31, 1861.

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN, Attorney-General, C. S. A.

SIR: The law of the Congress of the United States of March 18, 1814, paragraph XIV, contains the following provision:

Every non-commissioned officer and private of the Army, or officer or non-commisioned officer and private of any militia or volunteer corps in the service of the United (Confederate) States who has been or who may be captured by the enemy, shall be entitled to receive during his captivity, notwithstanding the expiration of his term of service, the same pay, subsistence and allowance to which he may be entitled whilst in the actual service of the United (Confederate) States: Provided, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to entitle any prisoners of war of the militia to the pay and compensation herein provided after the date of his parole other than the traveling expenses allowed by law.

The Quartermaster-General has presented to this Department the case of officers and soldiers of the First Regiment of Georgia Volunteers called into service by the requisition of the President who are now here on parole claiming pay and transportation, and desires to be informed "to which class of troops the Georgia regiment belongs and to what allowances they may be entitled" under the act above quoted. Your attention is respectfully called to this question and an early reply is solicited.

Very respectfully,

L. P. WALKER,

Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS OR THE FORCES,
Norfolk, August 1, 1861.

Brigadier General S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General.

SIR: I have had daily applications from persons desirous of going North for permission to go to Fortress Monroe and thence to Baltimore. I have allowed no flag of truce to go for the last month. The captain of an English ship, the Glory, wrecked some time since on Currituck Beach, and some of the crew are here. The captain says the business of his owners requires him to go North, and he and his crew have no