HEADUQARTERS DEAPRTMENT OF NORFOLK,

Norfolk, Va., Janaury 22, 1862.

Honorable J. P. BENJAMIN, Secretary of War.

SIR: I inclose herwith copy of a letter* received from Major General John E. Wool on the evening of Janaury 20.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. HUGER,

Major-General, Commanding.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, January 23, 1862.

Major General BEJNAMIN HUGER, Norfolk.

SIR: I have your several letters of 11th, 18th, 20th and 22nd on subject of exchange of prisoners.

1. By your letter of 11th instnt you informed me that you had offered to Commodoer Goldsborugh Lieutenant Wiliam G. Jones for Lieutenant Sayre, of Marine Corps. By your letter of 20th instnt you state that you offered Lieutenant Dickinson for Tatnall before getting instructions to offer him for Sayre. By my twoletters of 29th December you were requested to offer Dickinson for Saye, Jones for Tatnall. I do not see who has been given tous for Jones and yet you ask for another lieutenatn to be given for Sayre. Please explain.

2. Lieutenatn-Colonel Pegrm, for whom Colonel Wilcox is demanded in exchnge by General Wool, informs me that he notified General McClellan that no such exchange was to be hoped for an received for reply from the Adjutant-General the statement that Lieutenatn-Colonel Bomford would be taken inexchnge for him I shall send Lieutenatn-Colonel Bomofrd in exchange for Lieutenatn-Colonel Pegram as soon as he can arrive from Texas.

3. I consent to the following exchagnes propsed in General Wools' letter of 17th: We give Captain Withington, First Michigan, for Captin SUtton, north Carolina. We give First lieutenant Preston, opf Foruth Michigan, for First Lieutenant Bell, North Carolina. We give Adjutant Peirson, Twentieth Massachusetts, for Adjutant Poole, North Carolina. We give First Litenant Parks, First Michigan, for First Lieutenant Lasselle, North Carolina. We give Dr. William Fletcher for Dr. R. W. Jeffery. We give Dr. C. S . De Graw for Dr. Lindsay. We give Doctor Connolly for Doctor Page . We give First Lieutenant R. T . Frank for First Lieutenant Thomas H. Allen. We give Second Lieutenant William Booth, of Second WIsconsin, for Seceond Lieutenant Julian G. Moore, Norh Carolina. We give Second Lieutenant Edmund Connolly, of Sixty- ningh New Yorik for Second Lieutenant N. H. Hughers, North Carolina. We give Second Lieutenant Charles M. Hooper, Cliofornia Regiment, for Swecond Lieutenant J. W. Hoy, North Carolina.

4. On further examination I see that General Wool in his letter of 19th proposes to give T. S. Wilson for FIrst Lieutenant W. G. Jones. I decline the peoposal and adhere to the offer of Jones for Sayer, as you have given Dickinson for Tattnall.

5. . I decline the exchagnes for Lieutenant W. D. Farly and F. de Caradene, propsed in the letter of General Wool of the 20th instant. The former officer is only a lieutenatn and not a captin as supposed by General Wool. Both the officers are in the volunteers service and will be received in exchange forlike officers, not for regulars.

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*Omitted here; Wool toHuger, January 19, p. 198.

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