W. A. Nichols to JOHN E. MULFORD, Assistant Agent of Exchange, January 18, 1865

GENERAL ORDERS, ) WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL’S OFFICE,

January 18, 1865.

No. 6. f Washington, January 18, 1865. A proposal having been made by Robert Ould on the 22d of August last to “let all prisoners of war on each side be released from confinement (close) or in irons, as the case may be, and either placed in the eondition of other prisoners or sent to their respective homes for their equivalents,” which proposal was duly approved by the Secretary of War, it is hereby ordered that all Confederate prisoners of war that come within the terms of said accepted proposal be released and sent to Fort Monroe, there to be detained, subject to the orders of Lieut. Col. John E. Mulford, agent for the exchange of prisoners, to enable him to carry the proposal into effect. In executing this order the expression “confinement (close)” will be construed as meaning prisoners confined in cells.

By order of the Secretary of War:

Assistant Adjutant- General.

RICHMOND, January 18, 1865.

SIR: The Confederate authorities have been informed that the Hon.

O. O. Clay, sr., and another prominent gentleman of Huntsville, Ala.,

have been arrested and taken to Nashville, where they are held as

hostages for the safety of Judge Humphreys, formerly of the Confed’erate Army, and more lately a citizen of Madison County, Ala. Judge