LYNCHBURG, July 12, 1862.

President DAVIS:

If Colonel Nicholls mentioned in Wednesday's dispatch as being taken as a spy is of Eighth Louisiana Regiment, Taylor's brigade, in pity prevent his execution.

CAROLINE G. NICHOLLS,

Washington House.

RICHMOND, July 13, 1862.

General EARL VAN DORN, Vicksburg:

Consular certificates confer no authority to pass our lines. Even the passports issued here leave the time and place of passage to the discretion of the officer in command on the lines. I think that the results of the operations here will turn out to be from 8,000 to 10,000 prisoners, 50 pieces of artillery and 30,000 stand of arms. We are finding every day arms and stores abandoned by the enemy on their retreat. They left or destroyed their personal baggage, pontoon trains, rocket batteries, &c. Their tents are left standing and vast quantities of stores were destroyed, but we recovered much that they had not time to destroy.

GEO. W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA.

July 14, 1862

Brigadier General J. H. WINDER,
Commanding Department of Henrico.

GENERAL: I send up twelve prisoners, citizens of the State, who have been captured by the enemy, taken to Fortress Monroe and finally paroled. They are a portion of more than 100 who are in the same situation. I desire the question settled in what light they shall be viewed and what shall be done with them. I inclose note from Colonel Goode, who sent them up from the White House. I think these people could be put to work if they could do nothing else.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE,

General.

[Indorsement.]

Inform General Lee that the letter has been referred to me; that we do not recognize the right of the United States to seize citizens and by paroling them put them in a situation where they will be punished by us if they decline to render military service and shot by the enemy if they do. General McClellan should be informed that we do not recognize these paroles and shall not hesitate to exact service from them. Should he treat this as a violation of parole it will lead to retaliation, our only means of compelling the observance of the laws of civilized warfare.

G. W. R.

[Inclosure.]

WHITE HOUSE, VA., July 13, 1862.

General ROBERT E. LEE, Commanding Confederate Forces.

GENERAL: A number of citizens of the surrounding counties who were taken prisoners and have been paroled by the enemy have been