or who have been identified as openly belonging to the armies of our Government. The reason for this particularization is that I learn you have as prisoners a number of citizens who have not openly participated in the war, but who have been captured at their homes on account of their political opinions and are now being employed by you in the erection of your fortifications. Not recognizing your authority, under the rules of civilized war, either to capture this class of people or to hold them in menial service, I cannot under any circumstances consent to exchange your prisoners in my hands for them. Neither shall I attempt to capture any of that class of citizens entertaining sentiments favorable to your Government for the purpose of exchange, because I regard all such acts as outside of civil and military usage.

You have as I am informed in your military service as guides and spies two free negroes, James Hall and Jesse Turner. Their families were residing on the north side of White River and their houses, as I was officially informed a few days since by my scouts, were a rendezvous for your troops engaged in military operations in this direction. Necessity required that I should break up immediately this place of aid, comfort and information to your scouts. Consequently I ordered all the members of both families to be removed to the rear of my lines. Their names are as follows: Rachel Turner, sister of James Hall, age 55, and her sons, Joel, age 14, and James, age 11; Cynthia Turner, wife of Jesse Turner, age 28, and her children, Love, age 6, Salina, age 4, and Sarah, age 2. I do not retain these people as prisoners of war. No guards are placed over them and they are supplied with subsistence from my commissary department. I am anxious that they should be transferred within your lines, with the proviso that they shall not be reinstated in the former neighborhood except by force of arms. Allow me most respectfully to suggest that in line of proposed to be sent within your lines you restore tome as many slaves who have been forcibly taken from their masters within the bounds of this State and from the vicinity in which these free negroes resides. I have no authority from my Government to commence this negro exchange, but from the recent proclamation of your President I would respectfully suggest that you would be perfectly justified in acting on my proposition. Whether you accede to my proposition of restoring slaves or not, still if you desire these free negroes within your lines you will please signify it and I will send them under escort to any place you may designate.

This communication is borne by Lieutenant Lesueur, of my command, with an escort of five men under a flag of truce for the purpose of conveying the paroled prisoners of war beyond my lines and receiving in return any reply you may be pleased to make.

Very respectfully,

M. M. PARSONS,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

FORT MONROE, October 26, 1862.

Adjutant-General THOMAS:

It will be better for Lieutenant Thomas to delay coming with the rolls until Wednesday. Mr. Wood is doing most absurd things at Richmond where he now is, and Major Barney, paymaster, U. S. Army, just released from there has gone to Washington to report his misconduct to the Secretary of War. If an order be given for his immediate recall I can take it up. Exchanges of citizens were all arranged