HEADQUARTERS, Fort Monroe, Va., September 12, 1862.

Major General E. D. KEYS, Commanding at Yorktown.

GENERAL: I send back the five political prisoners whom you sent to me with the papers relating to them. I also need a memorandum of my examination of them. These men are entitled to a trial, which they cannot have here for want of witnesses. Lieutenant-Colonel Smith has obviously not given them a personal examination. I am satisfied from the examination I have made and from separate interviews with each that they had nothing to do with guiding the rebel forces into Willimsburg on Tuesday, and I am inclined to believe that the visit of the latter was a surprise to the inhabitants as well as to our own troops. Clouds I have no doubt was unarmed and dismounted on the day of the light and that the servants and privates alluded to by Lieutenant-Colonel Smith mistook some other person from him. If as Williams states he held a commission in the militia before the evacuation of Yorktown he cannot be molested on that account as there is an express stipulation in regard to such persons in the articles of agreement relating to the exchange of prisoners.

I have no doubt that Rev. Mr. Blain is a violent secessionist. He acknowledge his sympathies with the insurgents. If we were to undertake to confine all the sympathizers with the rebellion our prisons would not hold them. I think Doctor Wager was entirely mistaken when he supposed he saw him riding into the town with the rebels armed. In all cases of this kind the parties accused or suspected are entitled to a trial or an examination, and the testimony of the witnessers for or against them should be taken under oath.

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

Major-General, Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS, Fort Monroe, Va., September 12, 1862.

ROBERT OULD, Esq., Agent [for Exchange] of Prisoners of War.

SIR: I send in charge of Major William H. Ludlow, one of my aides-de-camp, two lieutenants and seventy-eight non-commissioned officers and privates of the Eight and Seventeenth North Carolina Regiments. A portion of them were paroled at Hatteras and were allowed to return to their homes in the northeastern part of North Carolina. Whether they have been exchanged I cannot ascertain as General Thomas has the lists. They were captured on their way to Raleigh. I leave it to you and General Thomas to define their status. If they were exchanged they should have advised General Mansfield or General Foster and asked the protection of a flag. Instead of doing this they organized and were proceeding to the headquarters of their regiment on their own responsibility and at their own risk and I think have rendered themselves liable to capture as prisoners of war. They have therefore been paroled by me, but the number is not large and the matter will be arranged by General Thomas and yourself without difficulty.

We have over 160 citizens, prisoners, whom we desire to exchange with those in your possession in Richmond and Salisbury. Nearly all are at Washington. Shall we send them to you? You have at Richmond the Rev. Mr. Read and at Salisbury an old gentleman by the name of Robinson whose release is earnestly requested by their friends.

I send you back Miss Walters, of Norfolk, who came down by the last flag of truce. She was detected in conveying letters surreptitiously