maintenance. It would be a great relief to us if we could arrange a general exchange under the authority which General Wool reports is vested in him, and I recommend that General Cobb be appointed on our part with full power to make the arrangement.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

BATTLE-FIELD, Crew's Farm, July 3, 1862.

Major R. G. COLE,

Assistant Commissary of Subsistence, C. S. Army.

MAJOR: I am instructed by General Lee to give you such information as will enable you to issue the special supplies requisite for the Federal sick and wounded within our lines. There are entirely unprovided for and will need a full supply. This place is most accessible from some point on the York River Railroad, at or near Savage Depot, being distant therefrom about three miles. About 3,000 are at Savage Depot, on the York River Railroad. these were provided to some extent with hard bread, prepared vegetables, coffee, &c., but are without meat of any kind. There are 500 in the vicinity of the battle-field of Monday, June 30, 1862, immediately on the Charles City road. These are entirely without subsistence. One thousand more will be found just beyond the battle-field of Tuesday evening, July 1, at Pitt's house, and at another house near by. I would respectfully suggest that an intelligent agent be sent with each supply that there may be no mistake in the distribution.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

L. GUILD,

Surg., C. S. Army, Med. Director, Dept. of Northern Virginia.

CREW'S HOUSE, VA., July 3, 1862.

General R. E. LEE, Commander in-Chief C. S. Army.

SIR: I am left here by order of General McClellan to look after the welfare of the sick and wounded, and since there are numbers of them placed in temporary hospitals extending from Gaines' house to this place, an area of twelve to fifteen miles, and inasmuch as it is impossible for me to oversee and insure proper attention as to medication, nursing, and food, I would therefore propose that some suitable arrangement be made either for condensing them at Savage Station, that these ends might be attained, or, what would be still more agreeable to the demands on humanity, viz, the unconditional parole of these sufferers. From what I have seen and know of you and your ideas of humanity I feel assured that this application will meet with favor, even if the Federal Government does not recognize the principle of mutual exchange of prisoners. I trust that this rule ought not to be extended to the unfortunate sick and wounded. The real prisoners of war should be treated as belligerents, while humanity shudders at the idea of placing the wounded on the same footing. Your surgeons have performed miracles in the way of kind attention both to us surgeons as well as the wounded. If this proposition does not meet with favor I will with your approbation, communicate with the Federal Government that some basis of transfer may be arrived at. The majority, in fact