QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, July 27, 1862.

Captain W. W. McKIM,

Assistant Quartermaster, U. S. Army, Boston, Mass.:

Can you charter steamers to start at once with prisoners of war at Fort Warren for James River? Reply on receipt of this dispatch.

By order:

E. S. SIBLEY,

Brevet Colonel, U. S. Army, and Deputy Quartermaster-General.

SAINT LOUIS, July 27, 1862.

Major-General HALLECK:

On recommendation of General Schofield have paroled S. H. Colms, major First Battalion Tennessee Infantry, ranking as colonel, to go to Sparta Tenn. He wants to be exchanged for Colonel Minter, Eighteenth Missouri Volunteers. Major Colms' address is care McClure, Buck & Co., Nashville, Tenn. Colonel Minter is here.

B. G. FARRAR,

Provost-Marshal-General.

WASHINGTON, July 28, 1862.

His Excellency the PRESIDENT:

I inclose certain papers in the regard to certain Iowa troops taken prisoners at Shiloh, since paroled and now at Benton Barracks.

The difficultly between them and the officers there is very unfortunate and will have a bad influence on recruiting in our State. It will be some time before they can be exchanged. Cannot orders be sent releasing them from any duty until exchanged sending them to Davenport, Iowa, to occupy the Government barracks there until exchanged? They have not been paid since January 1, but I think I have arranged for that to-day.

Please give this matter early attention.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD.

[Indorsement.]

JULY 29, 1862.

Respectfully submitted to the War Department.

A. LINCOLN.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

BENTON BARRACKS, Saint Louis, Mo., July 12, 1862.

His Excellency SAMUEL J. KIRKWOOD, Governor of Iowa.

SIR: We the undersigned, paroled prisoners, members of the Eighth Iowa Regiment, desire to make the following statement concerning our treatment since the battle of Shiloh:

April 6 we arrived on the battle-field between 8 and 9 o'clock a. m. and were surrounded and completely cut off at 2 o'clock p. m. so we have been told, but were not taken prisoners until twenty minutes past 5 o'clock p. m., when we were overpowered by superior numbers. After an imprisonment of no ordinary severity, hardships and indignities of which few if any could form a correct opin

ion without being placed