HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, La., August 17, 1863.

SIR: I beg leave to inclose a copy of a dispatch, which I had the honor of addressing to you on the 10th ultimo, relative to the parole of the Confederate prisoners surrendered to me at Port Hudson.

In further explanation of the manner in which these men were paroled, I have also the honor to inclose a copy of the form used.* Each man signed in presence of his officers duplicate paroles in this form. Major-General Gardner approved in duplicate the rolls so signed for each regiment, company, and detachment. The United States provost-marshal signed them in duplicate as paroling officer. One copy of these consolidated paroles was retained by the paroling officer, and is now on file at these headquarters; one copy was delivered to Major General Gardner, according to previous agreement entered into at his own request, in order that, to quote his own reason, he might forward them to the War Department of the Confederate States. In addition to this, each man signed an individual parole, which was retained by himself, having the same caption as the consolidated rolls, varying only in the substitution of the singular for the plural.

These individual paroles were signed, first, by the prisoner; secondly, by the regimental or battery commander; thirdly, by the United States provost-marshal as paroling officer. They were made out and given to the prisoners at the request of Major-General Gardner, who assigned as a reason for this request that the men themselves were anxious to have them, in order, as he said, that the conscript officers might not pick them up and send them to duty.

These forms having been gone through with, the men were marched beyond our lines in organized bodies, under charge of their own noncommissioned officers, in pursuance of orders issued to them in circular form by Major-General Gardner, and were discharged from their imprisonment at points which had been mutually agreed upon between General Gardner and myself. From that time they were to be governed by the circular orders from General Gardner, above referred to, embracing in their provisions all the usual arrangements for subsistence and transportation.

It is important to observe in this connection that the commissioners appointed by Major-General Gardner to draw up the articles of capitulation urged so strongly the paroling of the garrison that our commissioners submitted the point to me for instructions. I directed them to decline entering into conditions, and to state to the enemy's commissioners that I would give my reply on that point after the surrender. This was done.

Immediately after the formal surrender, I informed General Gardner personally that I had concluded to agree to his proposition, and release his men on parole. It is certain that Major-General Gardner, the commander of the opposing army, considered that he was acting for and binding his Government according to the terms of the cartel.

I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

 N. P. BANKS,

 Major-General, Commanding.

 Maj. Gen. H. W. HALLECK,

General-in Chief, Washington, D.C.

ADDENDA.

GENERAL ORDERS No. 49.

HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE GULF, 19TH A. C.,
Before Port Hudson, June 15, 1863.

The commanding general congratulates the troops before Port Hudson upon the steady advance made upon the enemy's works, and is confident of an immediate and triumphant issue of the contest. We are at all points upon the threshold of his fortifications. One more advance and they are ours!

For the last duty that victory imposes, the commanding general summons the bold men of the corps to the organization of a storming column of 1,000 men, to vindicate the flag of the Union and the memory of its defenders who have fallen! Let them come forward!

Officers who lead the column of victory in this last assault may be assured of the just recognition of their services by promotion, and every officer and soldier who shares its perils and its glory shall receive a medal fit to commemorate the first grand success of the campaign of 1863 for the freedom of the Mississippi. His name will be placed in general orders upon the Roll of Honor.

Division commanders will at once report the names of the officers and men who may volunteer for this service, in order that the organization of the column may be completed without delay.

By command of Major-General General Banks:

 RICH'D B. IRWIN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

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Officers and men who volunteered for storming party at Port Hudson, La., under General Orders, No. 49, Headquarters Department of the Gulf, June 15, 1863.

STAFF.

Capt. Duncan S. Walker, assistant adjutant-general.

Lieut. Edmund H. Russell, Ninth Pennsylvania Reserves, acting signal officer.

TWELFTH CONNECTICUT.

Capt. Lester E. Braley, Co. G.

Lieut. A. Dwight McCall, Co. G.

Lieut. George A. Harmount (adjutant).

Private Charles J. Constantine, Co. A. 

Sergt. John Mullen, Co. B.

Private Charles Duboise, Co. B. 

Corporal John Moore, Co. C.

Private George T. Dickson, Co. C. 

Private Willoughby Hull, Co. C.

Private William Putnam, Co. C. 

Private Christopher Spies, Co. C.

Private George W. Watkins, Co. C. 

Private John P. Woodward, Co. C.

Sergt. Alexander Cohn, Co. D.

Private George Kohler, Co. D.

Private Reuben Miles, Co. D.

Private Frederick C. Payne, Co. D.

Private William P. Smith, Co. E.

Sergt. Charles E. McGlaflin, Co. G.

Sergt. Andrew H. Davison, Co. G. 

Corpl. John T. Gordon, Co. G.

Private Oliver C. Andrews, Co. G. 

Private James Dunn, Co. G.

Private Patrick Fitzpatrick, Co. G. 

Private Patrick Franey, Co. G.

Sergt. John W. Phelps, Co. H. 

Corpl. Joseph W. Carter, Co. H.

Corpl. Charles E. Sherman, Co. H. 

Private Edwin Converse, Co. H.

Private Warren Gammons, Co. H. 

Private William Lenning, Co. H.

Private Melvin Nichols, Co. H.

THIRTEENTH CONNECTICUT.

Capt. Apollos Comstock (commanding regiment).

Capt. Charles D. Blinn, Co. C. 

Capt. Homer B. Sprague, Co. H.

Capt. Dennison H. Finley, Co. G.

Capt. Charles J. Fuller, Co. D.

Lieut. Perry Averill, Co. B. 

Lieut. Frank Wells, Co. I.

Lieut. Charles E. Tibbets, Co. A.

Lieut. William F. Norman, Co. K.

Lieut. Charles Daniels, Co. K.

Lieut. Charles H. Beaten, Co. E.

Lieut. John C. Kinney, Co. A.

Lieut. Louis Meisner, Co. I.

Lieut. Newton W. Perkins, Co. C.

Corpl. Francis J. Wolff, Co. A.

Corpl. Christopher Fagan, Co. A.

Corpl. Andrew Black, Co. A.

Private William Bishop, Co. A.

Private Walter Egan, Co. A.

Private John Fagan, Co. A.

Private Francis J. Gaffnay, Co. A.

Private Edward Lantry, Co. A.

Private John Maguire, Co. A.

Private Henry Morton, Co. A.

Private Loren D. Penfield, Co. A.

Sergt. George E. Fancher, Co. B.

Sergt. George H. Pratt, Co. B.

Sergt. Alonzo Wheeler, Co. B.

Corpl. Francis E. Weed, Co. B.

Corpl. Roswell Taylor, Co. B.

Corpl. Isaac W. Bishop. Co. B.

Private George M. Balling, Co. B.

Private John J. Brown, Co. B.

Private William E. Casey, Co. B.

Private Balthazar Emmerich, Co. B.

Private Peter Gentien, Co. B.

Private Dennis Hegany, Co. B.

Private William W. Jones, Co. B.

Private John Klein, Co. B.

Private Benjamin L. Mead, Co. B.

Private John Mohren, Co. B.

Private Charles Nichols. Co. B.

Private Victor Pinsaid, Co. B.

Private George Prindle, Co. B.

Private Morant J. Robertson, Co. B.

Private Sidney B. Ruggles, Co. B.

Private Louis Schmeidt, Co. B.

Private Frederick L. Sturgis, Co. B.

Sergt. John N. Lyman, Co. C.

Sergt. John Maddox, Co. C.

Private Chauncey Griffin, Co. C.

Private Joseph H. Pratt, Co. C.

Private Mortimer H. Scott, Co. C.

Private Joseph Taylor, Co. C.

Private Daniel Thompson, Co. C.

Corpl. Edward Alton, Co. D.

Private John Dillon, Co. D.

Private John Fee, Co. D.

Private Jos. A. Gardner, Co. D.

Sergt. Nicholas Schue, Co. E.

Sergt. Richard Croley, Co. E.

Corpl. Robert C. Barry, Co. E.

Corpl. Leonard L. Dugal, Co. E.

Private Jacob Brown, Co. E.

Private Frederick Harms, Co. E.

Private George W. Howland, Co. E.

Private Michael Murphy, Co. E.

Private Charles F. Oedekoven, Co. E.

Private F. F. F. Pfieffer, Co. E.

Private Andrew Reagan, Co. E.

Private Frederick Schuh, Co. E.

Private August Wilson, Co. E.

Private James Cosgrove, Co. F.

Private Patrick Leach, Co. F.

Private Henry E. Phinney, Co. F.

Sergt. Charles B. Hutchings, Co. G.

Sergt. John W. Bradley, Co. G.

Sergt. Francis Huxford, Co. G.

Corpl. Moses Gay, Co. G.

Corpl. Louis Feotish, Co. G.

Corpl. Edmund Bogue, Co. G.

Private Timothy Allen, Co. G.

Private George I. Austin, Co. G.

Private John Brand, Co. G.

Private Octave Ceressolle, Co. G.

Private Charles Culver, Co. G.

Private James Gay, Co. G.

Private Albert Hopkins, Co. G.

Private John Hunt, Co. G.

Private Henry A. Hurlburt, Co. G.

Private Asahel Ingraham, Co. G.

Private Jeremy T. Jordan, Co. G.

Private Michael Kearney, Co. G.

Private Joseph Kemple, Co. G.

Private William M. Maynard, Co. G.

Private John McKeon, Co. G.

Private Daniel Moore, Co. G.

Private Timothy O'Connell, Co. G.

Private Henry Robinson, Co. G.

Private Anton Schlosser, Co. G.

Private Martin J. Shaden, Co. G.

Private Martin Sheer, Co. G.

Private Charles Sidders, Co. G.

Private John Suarman, Co. G.

Private Sebree W. Tinker, Co. G.

Sergt. William H. Huntley, Co. H.

Sergt. Dennis Doyle, Co. H.

Sergt. Herman W. Bailey, Co. H.

Private Philo Andrews, Co. H.

Private Niram Blackman, Co. H.

Private John Blake, Co. H.

Private Frank Patterson, Co. H.

Private George H. Twitchell, Co. H.

Sergt. Abner N. Sterry, Co. I.

Sergt. Samuel Taylor, Co. I.

Sergt. E. Sauter, Co. I.

Private Michael Burke, Co. I.

Private James Dillon, Co. I.

Private Thomas McGee, Co. I.

Sergt. Miles J. Beecher, Co. K.

Sergt. George A. Winslow, Co. K.

Sergt. Charles E. Humphrey, Co. K.

Corpl. Herman Saunders, Co. K.

Corpl. Herbert C. Baldwin, Co. K.

Corpl. John Nugent, Co. K.

Corpl. Robert Hollinger, Co. K.

Private John Bennett, Co. K.

Private Benjamin E. Benson, Co. K.

Private Frank C. Bristol, Co. K.

Private William Call, Co. K.

Private George Clancy, Co. K.

Private William J. Cojer, Co. K.

Private Thomas Duffy, Co. K.

Private Edward Ellison, Co. K.

Private Thomas Griffin, Co. K.

Private Patrick Mahoney, Co. K.

Private Thomas Morris, Co. K.

Private Richard O'Donnell, Co. K.

Private George C. Russell, Co. K.

Private Bernard Stanford, Co. K.

Private John Storey, Co. K.

Private Bartley Tiernon, Co. K.

TWENTY-FIFTH CONNECTICUT.

Lieut. Henry C. Ward (adjutant).

Lieut. Henry H. Goodell,Co. F.

Sergt. Maj. Charles F. Ulrich.

Private Samuel Schlesinger, Co. F.  

* Form omitted