be employed in conveying them to the river until my own wounded have been removed to a place of shelter. As soon as this can be accomplished, I will cause such of your wounded as may desire to be paroled, to be delivered at the points above indicated, upon being advised of your willingness to receive them. In the mean time they shall have such care as is given to my own.

I have the honor to enclose a copy of my letter of yesterday in case the original may not have reached you.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE, General.

GEN. R. E. LEE,

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA., May 7, 1863, 8 P.M.

Commanding Confederate Forces at Fredericksburg, Va. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your two communications of May 6 and 7 this moment. If agreeable to you, I would like to send medical supplies and attendance to my wounded, and, at such times as the state of the stream will permit, send ambulances for them via the fords designated in your communications, viz., United-States and Banks's Fords. I will, with your consent, send parties to those fords with supplies at an early hour to-morrow. The swollen state of the Rappahannock probably preventing the crossing of any vehicles with supplies, I shall have to depend upon you for transportation for them. I will receive the wounded at the points named as soon as it can be done. I will send an officer to Chancellorsville, with your consent, to arrange the details, which, judging from your letter, with the state of the river, cannot now be determined by correspondence. Upon an intimation from you as to any deficiency in your immediate necessities of medical

supplies of your own, by reason of their use for my wounded or other causes, I shall with pleasure replace them. I would be obliged for approximate information concerning the number of wounded, that a sufficient amount of supplies may be forwarded. I would be under obligations for an early reply. Very respectfully, etc.,

JOSEPH HOOker, Major-General Commanding.

(Copy furnished medical director.)

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,

CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA., May 9, 1863.

GEN. R. E. LEE,

Commanding Army of Northern Virginia.

The relatives and friends of several of the officers of this army who fell in the recent battles, have visited my headquarters with the view, if possible, of proceeding to the battlefields to recover the bodies of those near to them. I therefore have the honor to ask whether any person will be permitted to visit the battle-fields for the purpose indicated, or whether any arrangement can be made for sending to the lines of this army the bodies of such of our fallen officers as may have friends here seeking for them.

Very respectfully, etc.,

JOSEPH HOOKER, Major-General Commanding.

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,

MAJOR-GEN. JOSEPH HOOKER,

May 10, 1863.

Commanding United-States Forces on the Rappahannock. General, In reply to your communication of the 9th inst., I have the honor to state that it will give me pleasure to afford

every facility to relatives and friends of officers killed in the lafe battles, to recover their bodies; but I have no means of identifying them, or of ascertaining the fields on which they fell. If you will have me informed, I will cause search to be made.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. LEE, General.