officers and men of the Missouri State Guard and many citizens of the State in close confinement at Saint Louis and elsewhere who are suffering greatly by such unjust improsinment. The hope is expressed that General Halleck will imitate the example set by General Price.

This letter though not bearing immediately on the subject-matter in these papers is yet interesting as illustrating the wide difference in the bearing and action of our own and the Yankee commanding generals in the whole history of this war.

I have the honor, general, to be, your most obedient servant,

HENRY E. PEYTON,

Assistant Inspector-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE APPOMATTOX,
Drewry's Farmj, May 26, 1862.

Honorable G. W. RANDOLPH, Secretary of War.

SIR: I inclose you herewith copy of my letter to General Wool of May 3* as you requested. You will see it fixes the terms upon which the privateersmen are to be exchanged, which terms have been accepted by both parties. I consider myself pledgedto deliver the hostages upon the arrival of the privateersmen and I request authority to order them fro Salisbury.

Very respectfully, your obedient servnat,

BENJ. HUGER,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTRERS DEPARTMENT OF THE APPOMATTOX,

Drewry's Farm, May 26, 1862.

Honorable G. W. RANDOLPH, Secretary of War.

SIR: I have just received the inclosed letters+ brought by flag of truce to City Point. I send them up to you at once for your instructions, and as I have no time to make copies I request they may be returned to me with your instructions. I have requested your authority to order the hostages for privateersmen sent down as soon as General Wool notifies me the privateersmen would reache here on a day appointed. I am anverse to exchanging any one of the hostages before this is done, but after the privateersmen are exchanged I should insist that Commodore Barron and two other naval officers still at First Monroe and who have been lognest in confinement be first exchanged, and the exchanges should be general not of individuals. I dispatch these letters at once, and as soon as your instructions are received I will communicate with General Wool via City Point.

Very respectfully, your obedient servnat,

BENJ. HUGER,

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS, Hanover Junciton, May 26, 1862.

Honorable GEORGE W. RANDOLPH,
Secretary of War, Richmond.

SIR: Evening before last at dusk, just as I was taking up my line of march for this point but before my pickets were withdrawn, I received

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* Omitted here; Huger to Wool, May 3, p. 514.

+ Omitted here; Wool to Huger, May 25, p. 595, and probably Milward' dispatches; see Wool to Milward, same date, p. 595.

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