HEADQUARTERS WESTERN DEPARTMENT,
Corinth, May 16, 1862.

Major General L. POLK,

Commanding First Corps, Army of the Mississippi.

GENERAL: Your letter of this date has been received, and in reply I am instructed by the general commanding to refer you to the inclosed letter* of General H. W. Halleck, U. S. Army, upon the subject. Surgeon Lyles was requested by letter from these headquarters, dated May 1, 1862, to send in a list of the wounded that fell into the hands of the enemy. So soon as this is done our wounded will be exchanged in regular way by the first flag of truce.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CLIFTON H. SMITH,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

FORT WARREN, May 16, 1862.

Honorable GEORGE W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.

SIR: The Secretary of War for the United States has consented to exchange me for Captain C. H. McNally, of the U. S. Army, now on parole at Detroit, but requires that I shall first obtain a guarantly from the proper authority at Richmond that the exchange will be ratified, to obtain which I now trouble you with this application. I was captured at Fort Donleson, from which calamity about 300 of my regiment escaped, among whom were a large number of my own company. These men (enlisted for the war) are now with the army at Corinth in General Breckinridge's brigade, and are under the charge of I think but one officer, certainly not more than two. Basing my application upon these facts I earnestly hope that if not incosinstent with the public good to make special exchanges you will grant my request. Hoping to be soon in service again,

I am, yours, respectfully,

S. F. CHIPLEY,

Captain, Second Kentucky Regiment.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, May 17, 1862.

Lieutenant A. A. POLLOCK,

Scottsville, Albemarle, Va:

Paroled prisoners are entitled to pay during their term of service only and cannot be regarded as included in the provision which requires that certain volunteers shall be required to remain in their companies for ninety days unless their places can be sooner supplied by other recruits, &c. The place of a paroled prisoner cannot be 'supplied by another recruit", and this rule is therefore evidently not applicable to them.

Your obedient servant,

GEO. W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War.

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* Omitted here; Halleck to Beauregard, May 1, p. 508.

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