state that during my confinement of five months' duration myself with all others have received rations far superior to any they ever received both in quantity and quality from Price's army. The object as I understand of the petition is to procure three meals per day instead of two. This could easily be accomplished could the waste practiced by prisoners be dispensed with. But the fact of feeding slop barrels to overflowing with their surplus food and then complaining of not having sufficient I deem not only an injustice to the Government, whose supplies are liberal, but the officers to whose care is intrusted the dispensing of the same.

With my warmest wishes for your prosperity, I have the honor to remain, respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. T. WELLS.

BENTON BARRACKS, MO., August 27, 1862.

His Excellency E. M. STANTON.

SIR: We are among the paroled prisoners at these barracks who are awaiting their exchanges. A roll of all of them is now being made out at these headquarters to be forwarded to Washington for exchange. We are included in those rolls, hence we transmit this writing to you in order that you may know our exact situation, hoping to receive justice from you. Our exact situation is as follows:

We were members of what was then the Thirteenth Regiment of Missouri Volunteers, commanded by Colonel E. Peabody, taken prisoners at the surrender of Lexington, September 20, 1861, under Colonel Mulligan. We were held as prisoners two days and then released by taking an oath to -

Never take up arms again against the Southern Confederate or the State of Missouri during the present war, under penalty of death if again taken.

Our officers were detained. We went to out homes and were afterwards ordered to repair to Saint Joseph to be discharged, and on the 26th day of October, 1861, were mustered out of service and discharges given us. We were mustered out by Lieutenant Burnett, U. S. Army, according to Special Orders, Numbers 304, Western Department.

Shortly afterwards an order was issued by Colonel Peabody for all to report to him immediately for service stating that the regiment had been reinstated (under Special Orders, No. 29*) and all exchanged, and all who did not return would be considered and treated as deserters. Under that order we returned, some by force of arms. At the battle of Shiloh some of our regiment were taken prisoners again by the enemy, and six of them being recognized as having been taken at Lexington by General Price were shot. One member of Company E, aged sixty - three years, was made to dig his own grave and was then shot over it. General Price told one of the men that that was the way he would serve all who were at Lexington. A few exchanges were distributed among some of the companies before the battle which did more harm than good. A member of Company I was slightly wounded on the morning of the 6th of April, and when found after the battle has his head crushed and broken and one of those exchange papers pinned on his coat, that being the cause of his death. Five others were treated the same way.

We then took steps to ascertain to a certain whether we really had ever been exchanged as had bee represented to us or not. After

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* For various orders, correspondence, &c., relating to this matter, see Bonneville to Griffing, September 25, p. 556.

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