Lieutenant-General James Longstreet to General Robert E. Lee, March 1, 1865

HEADQUARTERS FIRST ARMY CORPS,

March 1, 1865.

General R. E. LEE,

Commanding:

GENERAL: I neglected to mention in my letter just finished that General Ord expressed some apprehension for General Grant lest there might be some misunderstanding in regard to the exchange of political prisoners. The terms were general for the exchange of this class of prisoners, but were not intended by him, he says, to include such as were under charges for capital offenses. General Grant desired that you should be advised of this construction of the terms.

I remain, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

J. LONGSTREET,

Lieutenant-General.

SOURCES: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 46, Part 2 (Serial No. 96), p. 1276; James Longstreet, From Manassas to Appomattox, p. 648-9