have them reorganized an in good condition for service by the time they are exchanged. Answer by telegraph.

O. P. MORTON,

Governor.

HEADQUARTERS CENTRAL DISTRICT OF MISSOURI, Jefferson City, December 16, 1862.

Colonel C. S. CHARLOT,
Asst. Adjt. General, Missouri State Militia, Saint Louis, Mo.

COLONEL: Herewith I have the honor to transmit a request of certain officers and soldiers formerly belonging to the Thirteenth [afterwards Twenty-fifth] Infantry Missouri Volunteers (Colonel Peabody), and who are now in Benton Barracks as paroled prisoners, they having been captured at the surrender of Lexington, and under the belief that they had been exchanged who have since their capture entered the U. S. service as members of the Fifth Regiment Cavalry Missouri State Militia. I am aware that good faith would prohibit the return of these men to their regiment without being exchanged, but my object in forwarding their request is to have some arrangement made at once which will result in their exchange as they are good soldiers and we require their services.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BEN. LOAN,

Brigadier-General, Missouri State Militia.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, Saint Louis, Mo., December 18, 1862.

Respectfully forwarded to the commissary-general of prisoners, with the request that these and all Lexington prisoners may be exchanged as soon as possible.

S. R. CURTIS,
Major-General.

[Inclosure No. 1.]

BENTON BARRACKS, December 16, 1862.

[Brigadier General BEN. LOAN.]

GENERAL: I have the received from Colonel B. L. E. Bonneville, U. S. Army, commanding post at Benton Barracks, a communication addressed to you by Jeremiah Murray, William Baker and other members of Company K, Twenty-third Regiment Missouri Volunteer Infantry, asking that they be discharged from the service of the United States on account of having been taken prisoners at the surrender of Lexington and paroled as prisoners of war on or about the 10th of September, 1861. I would most respectfully state that the above-mentioned parties were formerly members of Company D, Fourteenth Regiment Missouri Volunteer Infantry [Home Guards], commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel White at the battle of Lexington, and that they were discharged from and mustered out of the U. S. service in the month of September, 1861, on account of having been paroled as prisoners of war at Lexington, Mo. The above-mentioned parties soon after voluntarily enlisted in Company K, Twenty-third Regiment Missouri Volunteer Infantry, in which company they served until the 6th of April, 1862, when they were taken prisoners at the battle of Shiloh. They returned to Benton Barracks with the balance of the Shiloh prisoners July 10, 1862, since which time they have been under the command of the officer in charge of the paroled