the War Department. If however, they have issued such an order compelling paroled prisoners to do garrison duty and relieve other troops to go in the field we have made up our minds to abide the consequence and suffer the penalty of a refusal. If your Government refuses to respect our oath under our present circumstances it has no right to exact of us the conditions of our former oath. We consider we are just as much prisoners as we were when we were inside of the rebel lines. We are here by no act of our Government. While we were in rebel hands it was a matter of choice with us either to take this oath and go home and remain out of the army or stay there. We felt it our duty for the sake of our families and our own health to go home. But behold! as soon as we reach our lines there is an attempt to press us into service, forcing us to do the very thing that they so strongly condemn the rebels for doing. Well, last night the colonel issued his orders to our acting captains of regiment calling on us for guard to-day.

The captains flinched; would not stand fire; shoved their responsibility on the men. They went ahead and made the guard detail. The men were called on but promptly refused to obey, and are now lying in the guard-house with ball and chain to their limbs for refusing. It is the ordeal we all expect to go through. We are all perfectly willing to go into the service again if the Government will exchange for us, and it had a hundred times better do it than adopt the policy of forcing us in. I should like to have your opinion on the matter. You need not be afraid of influencing us to our injury, as our minds are made up and the thing commenced. Write soon. I shall write to farther's folks to-morrow if I can.

Yours, as ever,

WM. T. McMAKEN.

CLINTON, IOWA, July 22, 1862.

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War:

I explain at the request of General Thomas my dispatch of the 21st. Some 600 or 800 Iowa soldiers of the Eighth, Twelfth, Fourteenth and Sixteenth Infantry were taken prisoners at Shiloh and subsequently released on parole. Attempts were made to make them serve in violation of parole before they arrived at Chicago from Cairo. They were sent forward to be furloughed as was well understood when paroled. They were in some way detained at Benton Barracks and ordered by colonel of Twenty-third Missouri to relieve that regiment, and put on service which they deem inconsistent with their parole; they refused and are put in the guard-house. I want them sent home and furloughed until exchanged. It is proposed to treat them as mutineers. I object to such treatment to brave and willing men. I may be mistaken in my views, but the first order to relieve the Twenty-third Missouri was in effect a direct violation of parole. Please answer.

N. B. BAKER,

Adjutant-General of Iowa.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
July 22, 1862.

General R. E. LEE,

Commanding Army of Northern Virginia.

GENERAL: I take the liberty of sending by the flag-of-truce boat to-day a quantity of medical stores and comforts intended for our sick