Assistant Adjutant and Inspector-General, to take charge of this letter and deliver it at Port Royal ferry. I repeat that he is fully advised of my views, and, should you desire it, will confer with you, or any officer of your staff whom you may designate.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Major-General Commanding.
To Major-General J. G. Foster,
Commanding United States Forces, Hilton Head.
Charleston, S. C., August 2, 1864.
General—I received your letter of the 29th ultimo, informing me that the United States Secretary of War has authorized you to exchange any prisoners in your hands, rank for rank, or their equivalents, such exchange being a special one, and that you had sent Major Anderson of your staff to make arrangements as to time and place for the exchange. Major Lay of my staff, whose authority to act I had previously made known to you, and who met Major Anderson at Port Royal ferry, reports to me that he and Major Anderson had agreed to make the exchange to-morrow morning in the north channel leading to Charleston harbor. Having received authority from my Government to make the exchange, I will send five General and forty-five field officers of the United States service on a steamer for exchange at the time and place appointed. The details as to equivalents will be settled between Majors Lay and Anderson, or other officer to whom you may assign that duty, and any balance that may be found due you will be forwarded, in officers, by flag of truce as agreed upon.
On your assurance, conveyed in your letter of the 16th ultimo, that Assistant Surgeon Robinson, of the 104th Pennsylvania regiment, was not when captured reconnoitering, I will release and send him within your lines as soon as it can be done. He had been sent from here before I received your letter in regard to him.
I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
Major-General Commanding.
Commanding U. S. Forces, Department of the South, Hilton Head.
