OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C. January 12, 1863.

Brigadier General W. L. ELLIOTT,

Commanding Department of the Northwest, Madison, Wis.

GENERAL: In reply to your letter of the 5th instant addressed to General Hitchock I have the honor to inform you that the exchange of all prisoners taken in Arkansas up to January, 1863, will be announced in orders in a few days.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., January 12, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel GEORGE SANGSTER,

Commanding Camp Parole, Annapolis, Md.

COLONEL: I inclose herewith a letter* just received from General Patrick, provost-marshal-general of the Army of the Potomac, from which you will see that there has been great neglect somewhere in forwarding exchanged troops from you camp to the Army of the Potomac, and I desire immediately a report from you showing the manner in which the detachments forwarded by you were organized and the instructions for their conduct given to the officer in change. My letter of the 11th December gave sufficiently definite instructions to you. Parties of the same army were to be placed under the command of the senior officer and as complete rolls as possible by regiments were to be furnished. By telegram I directed they should be sent by water. If these instructions were not carried out please explain why. A statement of all payments and issues of clothing made at your camp should accompany each detachment. About this there can be no difficulty as it is all on you own records, and any other information should be given which the records received with the men contain. Instructions will be sent to you in relation to furnishing arms and equipments for exchanged troops. Your weekly report does not show the number of troops present exchanged nor the number on parole. Let these numbers be given in each report. Send by mail the numbers for last week. Learn from the men themselves to what corps they belong.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

FORT MONROE, January 12, 1863.

Colonel HOFFMAN:

The declarations of exchange include all prisoners of war and camp followers but not political prisoners.

WM. H. LUDLOW,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF KENTUCKY, Numbers 5.
Lexington, Ky., January 12, 1863.

The general commanding is reminded by the number of inquiries addressed to him on the subject that a variety of opinions exist in the

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* Omitted here; see Patrick to Hoffman, January 7, p. 160.

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