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William H. Ludlow letter June 26,1863

Headquarters Department of Virginia,
Fort Monroe, June 26, 1863.
Col. William Hoffman, Commissary-General of Prisoners: Colonel:
I have just received yours of the 24th instant. The rolls of paroled men at Camp Chase cannot be used in exchange in the way you propose. They may, however, be otherwise of service. The best mode of correcting the evil of occasionally overcrowding Fort Norfolk with prisoners of war, who have been detained here for want of transportation to City Point, is to have orders issued not to send any prisoners of war here for exchange, from Baltimore or other places, without previous notice having been given, and an opportunity afforded of stopping their coming, unless the prisoners come on transports, which can proceed directly to City Point. To send to Fort Delaware, as you propose, any occasional excess would require the same amount of transportation which would take them to City Point. We have no proper place to confine prisoners of war, in any large number, in this department.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WM. H. LUDLOW,
Lieutenant- Colonel and Agent for Exchange.

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Source of Information

55th Congress 3d Session House of Representatives Document No. 312
The War of the Rebellion: A compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
Published under the direction of the Hon. Russell A. Alger, Secretary of War,
By Brig. Gen. Fred C. Ainsworth, Chief of the record and pension office, war department, and Mr. Joseph W. Kirkley.
Series II – Volume VI.
Washington: Government printing office.
1899