McClellan through General Lee that they would be treated in all respects as the United States Government treated Captains Springs and Triplett. General McClellan referred the letter to his Government and afterwards informed General Lee that Captains Spriggs and Triplett would be treated as prisoners of war.

G. W. R.

[Sub-inclosure.]

Resolved, That a committee of three members of this House be appointed who shall wait upon the Secretary of War and acquaint him with the fact that certain Virginia officers are still detained as prisoners of war and learn from him what, if any, redress the Confederate Government proposes, and report to this House.

Agreed to by House of Delegates October 3, 1862.

WM. F. GORDON, JR.,

Clerk House of Delegates of Virginia.

RICHMOND, VA., October 4, 1862.

General WINDER.

GENERAL: We inclose you a note from W. C. Barney addressed to ourselves and ask for it your consideration. Mr. Barney as you will perceive denies in the most pointed manner that he has now or has ever had any sort of complicity with our enemies. On the other hand he protests that his sympathies are now and have all the time been with us. If Mr. Barney is really our friend it is a great wrong to throw him into prison. We knew him in Washington City, and from our knowledge of him we do not think he would write such a letter as we now inclose you if his heart was against the South. He says that he is not the person alluded to as giving information to the enemy and we believe he speaks truly.

Very truly,

A. G. BROWN,

W. W. BOYCE.

[Inclosure.]

LIBBY PRISON, Saturday, [October 4, 1862.]

Ho. A. G. BROWN, Senator.

Honorable W. W. BOYCE, Member of Congress.

DEAR SIRS: I fee aggrieved at the position I am placed in by the unjust suspicion that I am an enemy to the Southern Confederacy. I state on the word of a gentleman that I am not in any way connected with the Army of the United States; that I am not the person alluded to in the newspapers at the North as having been at Bull Run battle and having given important information to your enemy, the Northern Government. I voluntarily offer my word of honor that I will never take up arms against the Confederate States nor give any aid or comfort of information against them to their enemies, especially to the United States Government. My sole object in trying to visit Richmond was and is to do what I can for the Confederate States in giving such information as I possess, as also to learn from you your views and wishes [and] to be guided by them. I refused my parole for the reason that I do not wish to place my name on any document which will recognize me as an enemy to the Confederate States or as amenable to the United States Government. My chief desire is to have my position well defined and that I may possess the full confidence of my friends here and of the officers of the Confederate States. In this desire I