GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO, No. 31.
Cincinnati, Ohio, December 14, 1862.

I. In pursuance of instructions from the Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant-General's Office, of the 19th instant, it is ordered that commanders of camps of paroled prisoners of war within the Department of the Ohio immediately forward the exchanged prisoners under their command to the armies to which they belong by detachments under charge of commissioned officers, the detachments to be sent to their respective regiments, batteries, &c., by commanders of armies in which they are serving. Correct rolls of detachments, according to regiments, batteries, &c., will be furnished the several commanding officers before starting. The quartermaster's department will provide the necessary transportation on requisitions of the commanders of the respective camps.

II. All exchange officers and soldiers now absent from the several camps of rendezvous for paroled prisoners, whether with or without leave, except in cases of sick leave granted by the proper authority, who fail to promptly report in person to the respective commanders of those camp will be reported as deserters and dealt with accordingly.

By command of Major-General Wright:

N. H. McLEAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff.

Resolution adopted by the House of Representatives December 15, 1862.

Resolved, That the Secretary of War be directed to inform the House what steps, if any, have been taken for the relief of sutlers and other non-combatants attached to our Army, now held as prisoners at Richmond and elsewhere.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE, Oxford, Miss., December 15, 1862.

Lieutenant-General PEMBERTON,
Commanding Confederate Forces.

GENERAL: Your communication of the 13th instant in relation to the detention of Captain Faulkner and other guerrillas is just received.

These moving bands have been a pest of the communities through which they passed but no determinant to the cause of the Union. They have not observed the rules of civilized warfare, and I did not suppose were authorized or under any control except such as they agreed upon among themselves. As you acknowledge them, however, and as most of their belligerency is directed against sympathizers and abettors of this rebellion I will send them to Vicksburg for exchange or set them loose.

I will state here that this is the third communication from you to General Sherman and myself since the present advance commenced that has been threatening in tone. One of your communications also implied a doubt of my veracity in the statement made by me as to prisoners taken as well as casting reflections upon the character of those prisoners.

I will now state to you that the number of prisoners taken by my forces on this advance has been exclusive of sick and stragglers over 1,000. Most of this latter class have been persons who have become tired of the war and have been permitted to take the oath of allegiance and return to their homes.