VARINA, JAMES RIVER, September 25, 1862.

Brigadier General L. THOMAS,

Adjt. General U. S. Army, Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

SIR: Having received assurances from United States Government that the orders of General Pope to which exception has been taken are no longer in force I send by Captain John E. Mulfrd all of the officers of General Pope's command who have been taken prisoners. I hope you will perceive by this action of the Confederate Government in respect to these officers that there has been at no time on its part any disposition to be unnecessarily severe upon them personally. The course which it has pursued was the result of a firm conviction that it was bound by the highest obligations of duty to its own citizens to adopt such just measures of retribution and retaliation as seemed adequate to meet the injustice of which it complained. It always has been and is now the earnest desire of the Confederate Government that the present war shall be carried on in every respect in accordance with the usages of civilized warfare; and therefore since it has been announced by the competent military authorities of the United States that the orders to which exception has been taken are not in force the officers who have been detained are freely released on the usual parole until exchanged. I also send the remainder of the parties non-combatant who were captured on the battle-field.

After this action on the part of the Confederate Government I beg leave again to call your attention to the case of Colonel Thomas Zarvona* who is represented to be harshly confined in one of your military prisoners and compelled to suffer unusual hardships and crude privations. Many of the so-called nurses whom I think day send to you were taken under circumstances which might well warrant the Confederate Government in believing them to be spies or robbers, yet in spite of that fact they have been released and sent to you. I hope therefore I may reasonably expect that Colonel Thomas will be delivered to us as speedily as it can be done. +

Yours, respectfully,

ROBT. OULD,

Agent for Exchange.

GENERAL ORDERS,
WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE, Numbers 142.
Washington, September 25, 1862.

The following is the cartel under which prisoners are exchanged in the existing war with the Southern States. ++

By order of the Secretary of War:

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, September 25, 1862.

Colonel M. COGSWELL,

Tammany Regiment, New York Volunteers, New York City.

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that your exchange has been effected as a prisoner of war.

I am, sir, &c.,

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

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*See Vol. II, this Series, p. 379 et seq., for case of Zarvona.

+See p. 552 for apparently this same letter, dated Sept. 24, but with several variations.

++Cartel omitted here; see p. 266 et seq.

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