WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 14, 1862.

General DIX:

Your telegram inclosing General Lee's letter just received. All the correspondence* is ready and will be sent to-day by special messenger. When you receive it you can fix the time. The papers will furnish all necessary instructions. If further directions should be desired they can be given by telegraph.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 14, 1862.

Major-General DIX, Commanding, &c., Fort Monroe, Va.

GENERAL: The Secretary of War directs me to forward to you in accordance with the request made by your telegram of yesterday the inclosed correspondence between this Department and General Wool and General Wool and the insurgent authorities relative to an exchange of prisoners of war. Part of the papers sent you are the original communications and it is desired that of these you will take special care, and when through with them you will return them to this Department, as also the inclosed copies. +

The correspondence between General Wool and General Huger refers to the "cartel between Great Britain and the United States in 1813. " Diligent search has been made among the State papers and the archives of this Department for a cartel++ made in that year, but no trace or record of such can be found. There was, however, discovered on file a cartel++ between the two counties dated on the 28th day of November, 1812, which it is believed is the only one ever made, defining the tariff according to which prisoners of war, whether taken on land or on sea, should be exchanged.

This cartel is herewith @ sent to you, and as the inclosed is the only known extant copy you will please cause it to be transcribed at once and return the inclosed to the Department. The Secretary further directs me to say that in arranging for an exchange of prisoners you will make no reference whatever to the cartel, but will simply adopt as one of the provisions of the arrangement the tariff of exchange prescribed by its first clause.

In this regard you will be exceedingly careful, as any reference to the cartel might possibly be misconstrued into some sort of recognition of the insurgents.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. P. WOLCOTT,

Assistant Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 14, 1862.

Major General JOHN A. DIX:

If there should be any failure or delay to effect a general exchange I would be very glad to have you arrange the exchange of Colonel John R.

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* Reference to correspondence between Wool and Huger; see Dix to Stanton, July 13, p. 190.

+ Inclosures not found, but see correspondence between Wool and Huger in preceding volunteers.

++ The cartel of 1812 was identical with that of 1813, having been agreed upon November 28, 1812, by the commissioners, but not finally approved until a year afterward.

@ Omitted here; to be found at p. 303 of Vol. III.

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14 R R-SERIES II, VOL IV.