FORT MONROE, December 5, 1862.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners:

All of the Shiloh prisoners, officers and men, wherever found are exchanged. The rolls of exchanges were left by me in the Adjutant-General's Office. Many Shiloh prisoners were delivered on the Commodore.

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
Fort Monroe, December 5, 1862.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

COLONEL: In addition to the lists of paroled men it will be necessary for me to have the original paroles or a receipt or something to show that they have been delivered within the Confederate lines. All the Indiana troops captured at Munfordville, Ky., are exchanged. The order covers all. I return the lists* sent to me and I will arrange the difference in the sum total with Mr. Ould, whom I cannot meet until I have the rolls of General Rosecrans' captures.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS PAROLED PRISONERS,
Near Annapolis, Md., December 5, 1862.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

SIR: Yours of yesterday in relation to officers visiting Washington without proper authority is received, and in reply I would say that in all cases where officers have applied to me for permission I have informed them that the authority rested entirely with the War Department. I know that officers are in the habit of going to Washington and to other cities without any authority, and I have been very anxious that some measures be adopted to prevent it. Frequently when officers have been absent without authority and I attempt to reprove them for it they inform me that they were at the Adjutant-General's Office; that he did not say anything to them about it and that they thought the Adjutant-General was my superior officer. There is not an officer at this camp that has not been informed that they are disobeying orders by going to Washington, but some having gone and transacted their business with the Department it has encouraged others to go, and I do not think there is a day that there are not some of them at the capital. All officers upon their reporting here are assigned to duty with companies. We have quarters now in camp for all the officers, and if the provost-marshal at Annapolis had instructions to arrest all officers in that city without proper authority it would be a great assistance in conducting the business of this camp. Their presence with the men would have a salutary effect upon their discipline. There are a number of officers who are attentive to their duties and are good officers. There are also a large number who are scarcely ever in camp and who are seldom do any duty. These officers we have reported to you.

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* Omitted.

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