HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF WEST TENNESSEE,
Holly Springs, Miss., October 25, 1862.

Major-General ROSECRANS,

Commanding U. S. Forces at Corinth, Miss.

GENERAL: Your letter of October 15, brought under flag of truce by Lieutenant-Colonel Ducat to this place, was received and immediately forwarded to Lieutenant-General Pemberton, commanding at Jackson, Miss. By him I am directed to reply to you.

Without recapitulating the several articles in your communication I will reply to them in the order in which they appear.

1. You are correct in the supposition that paroled prisoners are not detailed for garrison duty or any other duty of a military nature under sanction of lawful authority. I may add that no such details have ever been made within my knowledge by any authority. I can assure you, sir, that nothing dishonorable will be sanctioned by the military authorities in this department.

2. No distinction is made in the issues of rations to prisoners of war and to our own soldiers. You cannot complain of this. The necessities of war may sometimes make captivity uncomfortable to your men, but humanity shall never be forgotten by me under any circumstances. I think you have been misinformed in regard to prisoners of war having been confined with negroes and suspicious characters. Upon inquiry I can learn of no such abuse.

3. All prisoners of war captured by the army under my command at Corinth and Hatchie Bridge have been sent to Vicksburg to be paroled and sent to Memphis. I presume ere this you have received official notification of this from the proper authorities at that city.

4. Lieutenant-General Pemberton has been pleased to reply to this article in his letter* to you, which I herewith have the honor to inclose.

5. Iuka, as all other points within the sphere of action of this army or yours, must be considered liable to the vicissitudes of war.

In conclusion allow me to express to you my gratification at the humane manner of your treatment to our prisoners of war and for the burial honors paid you to the gallant dead who fell under your batteries. Such actions betoken the brave soldier and honorable gentleman and can by no construction ever prove injurious to any cause. The will ever be cheerfully reciprocated by your opponents.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

EARL VAN DORN,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE FRONTIER,
Elk Horn, October 25, 1862.

Major H. Z. CURTIS, Assistant Adjutant-General, Saint Louis.

MAJOR: I have the honor to forward to major-general commanding a communication just received from Brigadier-General Marmaduke, C. S. Army, inclosing copy of a letter from General Hindman to Major-General Curtis, the original of which it is said was forwarded through Brigadier-General Steele. This communication was sent by flag of truce which is still detained at our advanced pickets. I am able to see no good reason for sending this duplicate message except as an excuse for sending a flag bearer and thereby gain information. In view of this

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*Omitted here; Pemberton to Rosecrans, October 22, 1862, p. 641.

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