I inclose a draft* of order which with the exception of exchange of officers covers all the detail of my work. On striking a balance there was due to the United States, excluding Harper's Ferry surrender, 5,100 men, against which I am authorized to make and declare exchanges. Selections can be made to that amount from the Harper's Ferry regiments or any other. I am at work on the Harper's Ferry papers and I will bring them to you in form to select from.

Very many of our men taken in Virginia are at Camp Chase; many at Annapolis, and all these, including officers, can be at once put in the field. If the paroled camps are at once cleaned out of those now declared exchanged and lists made of those left, at the next meeting with Mr. Ould these latter can be exchanged and we shall be able to take a fresh and better start.

The lists of officers are perfected and ready for publication. Your son, by whom I send them, fully understands them. The difference between the number of our officers exchanged, 926, and of the Confederates, 1,596, has been balanced by rank and file.

I will take with me to Washington all the memoranda and details of my work.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Acting Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI,
Saint Louis, November 12, 1862.

Major-General HOLMES.

SIR: In compliance with the understanding existing between us and with a desire to promote as far as is within my power the humane purposes for which we have mutually expressed our admiration at the earliest opportunity I herewith send forward for parole or exchange Lieutenant-Colonel Giddings and his men, amounting in number to sixteen and in equivalent to twenty-nine.

That this war should be carried on in a spirit of humanity and Christianity cannot be more desired by yourself than me, and as the Government has now consented to an exchange of prisoners of war on an explicit basis it is to be hoped the confinement of officers or privates will not in future be continued for a longer period than absolutely necessary.

I have again to call your attention to the exchange of prisoners made by Captain Noble September 2, 1862, at Little Rock, which left us in equivalents your creditors to the amount of twenty-five. We send with this from here twenty-nine, making fifty-four in equivalents, and expect to release from their parole that number of those sent by you to our lines under flag of truce, arriving at Helena October 28, 1862.

By order of Major-General Curtis:

JOHN W. NOBLE,

Aide-de-Camp.

U. S. ARMY GENERAL HOSPITAL,

Portsmouth Grove, R. I., November 12, 1862.

His Excellency the GOVERNOR OF MISSOURI:

We paroled prisoners taken at the battle of Shiloh send this petition. There are here some eighty men from different regiments of Missourians.

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*Not found.

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