fort he occupancy of the hotel buildings for that purpose, and also have the necessary additional building refered to in you report erected upon as reasonable terms as may be possible. Both buildings will be needed as the number of prisoners to be sent to TUscaloosa will be increased if the asylum be rented. Your report to this Deaprtment has not yet been received. If it should demand further instrucitons they will be given. Report the number of prisoners the asylum willcontain.

A. C . MYERS,

Quartermaster-=General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORFOLK,
Norfolk, Va., December 13, 1861.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General C. S. Army.

SIR: I send inclosed a letter* received alst evening from General J. E. Wool with extrect from the letter of the Adjutant-General of the U. S . Army to Colonel Dimcik, commanding Fort Warren, orderin g the release on parole of Captain De Lagnel, C. S. Army, in exchange for Captain J. B . Ricketts, U. S . Army. I request that Captain De Lagnel on being rleased may be assigned to duty in this command. As he has had experience in artillery service I want him particularly and desire to ut him in command at Craney Island. Col F. H. Smith, Colonel ninth Regiment Virginia Volunteers, is to be detached to resume charge of the military institute at Lexington. Colonel Smith is at present in command at Craney Island. The lieutenant- colonel has been relieved some time since. On Colonel Smith's leaving the command devolves upon a very young though quite an intelligent officer, Major Hardin. I want a commander for this post and request that Captain De Lagnel may be made colonel or lieutenant-colonel of the Ninth Regiment Virginia Volunteers. If the appointment is made by the Governor of Virginia I request that this letter may be referred to him.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. HUGER,

Major-General, Commanding.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, December 13, 1861.

Major General BENJAMIN HUGER, Norfolk, Va.

SIR: Your letter of the 9th instant with its inclosures has been recieved.

We have no naval officers to tender in exchange for the officers mentioned in the letter of Commodore Goldsborough. We have as prisoners a number of common seamen and an abundance of army officers. If Commodoer Goldsborough means, andhis letter appears to bear that construction, to take common samen in exchange for the officers you may make the best terms you can. I suppose we have between twenty and thirty seamen. If, however, he requires offices we can give the following exchange, viz: For Captain Tansill, Captain W. L. BOwers, First Thode Islad Regiment; for Lieutenant Tattnall, First Lietu. William Dickinson, Third Infantry; for Lieutenant Wislon, First.

---------------

*Omitted here; Wool to Huger, December 12, p. 158.

---------------