OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE CONGRESS,

August 17, 1861.

His Excellency JEFFERSON DAVIS.

SIR: The resolutions which I have the honor to submit below were adopted by the Congress yesterday, the 16th August, instant:

Resolved, that the President be requested if in his opinion not incompatible with the public interests to communicate to the Congress any information he may possess as to the hanging of captives in the late battle of Manassas.

Resolved, That the President be also requested to communicate to this Congress any information he may possess as to the cruelties practiced by the authorities of the United States against persons taken as prisoners.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. J. HOOPER,

Secretary of the Congress.

SPECIAL ORDERS,
ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 255.
Richmond, Va., August 19, 1861.

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VII. Colonel Charles Dommock will direct four companies to report without delay to Brigadier General J. H. Winder as an additional guard for the prisoners of war.

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By order:

GEO. DEAS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

FAIRFAX, VA., August 19, 1861.

Honorable L. P. WALKER, Secretary of War, Richmond.

SIR: Will you let me trouble you for the last time? I thank you for the consideration you gave my last letter and the kind tone of your reply. I acknowledge the justice of your conclusion, still I believe e the United States when compelled to exchange at all would do so for us if you required it, since you have the advantage of them and could not prevent our entering the service against them under assumed names, and indeed I always thought they would do so in the case mentioned. The mistake as they mildly term it by which we were captured would afford a consideration for the proposal from you.

There is now but one thing for me to do. You do not look upon us as worth the trouble; I therefore state these facts: Our services in Alexandria were important, trying, valuable and well performed. We have rendered services since our liberation too. I myself have lost my all by devotion to the cause. My property is destroyed ; my family were driven out of home by armed ruffians and they wee seeking me to murder me (having found out my position here) and would have succeeded, but I had acted on my resolution of never being caught again and left with the army. In the retreat from Fairfax Court-House I was among the last and am happy to be able to prove that I though I did not use any weapon, not having received your letter then and still being hopeful of exchange. Whatever happens I shall still do all I can for our cause. My assertions here I can a prove and among my witnesses are Generals Bonham and Ewell, and Colonels Terrett, Taylor, Corse and (especially) Kershaw, and many other officers.

45 R R-SERIES II, VOL III