prepared by me. I will send a copy by this evening's mail. It is very important that we should get the prisoners of the insurgents off our hands without the loss of a day unnecessarily as they are paroling and delivering our sick and wounded. Large numbers of our men die after delivery and are counted in the exchange, while theirs who die before the delivery are not counted; so we lose both ways.

JOHN. A. DIX,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS, Fort Monroe, Va., July 23, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

SIR: I have the honor to inclose the articles of agreement entered into by Major General D. H. Hill and myself for a general exchange of prisoners of war.

I am, very respectfully, yours,
JOHN. A. DIX,

Major-General.

[Inclosure.]

HAXALL'S LANDING, ON JAMES RIVER, VA.,

July 22, 1862.

The undersigned having been commissioned by the authorities they respectively represent to make arrangements for a general exchange of prisoners of war have agreed to the following articles:

ARTICLE 1. It is hereby agreed and stipulated that all prisoners of war held by either party including those taken on private armed vessels known as privateers shall be discharged upon the conditions and terms following:

Prisoners to be exchanged man for man and officer for officer; privateers to be placed upon the footing of officers men of the Navy.

Men and officers of lower grades may be exchanged for officers of a higher grade, and men and officers of different services may be exchanged according to the following scale of equivalents:

A general commanding in chief or an admiral shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or for sixty privates or common seamen.

A flag officer or major-general shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or for forty privates or common seamen.

A commodore carrying a broad pennant or a brigadier-general shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or twenty privates or common seamen.

A captain in the Navy or a colonel shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or for fifteen privates or common seamen.

A lieutenant-colonel or a commander in the Navy shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or for ten privates or common seamen.

A lieutenant-commander or a major shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or eights privates or common seamen.

A lieutenant or a master in the Navy or a captain in the Army or marines shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or six privates or common seamen.

Master's mates in the Navy or lieutenants and ensigns in the Army shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or four privates or common seamen.

Midshipmen, warrant officers in the Navy, masters of merchant vessels and commanders of privateers shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or three privates or common seamen.

Second captains, lieutenants or mates of merchant vessels or privateers and all petty officers in the Navy and all non-commissioned offi-