I want you to understand that everything relating to prisoners is under your charge; that you are to see when a prisoner is sick and paroled to go to general hospital that he is sent without delay. The ambulances of your regiment will be used in common with those of the general hospital departmetn for this purpose. I trust from the improvement isible yesterday on the whole that the weather permitting matters may be put very shortly in better shape. I would suggest that you should fix a particular hour of the day during which articles sent to the prisoners from individualrs will be received at your office. Having been examined I would cause them to be delivered at a particular hour the next day. If you will designate the hour for receiving them I will cause a notice to be inserted in the papers of the city to that effect. I would also fix an hour for receiving communications from the prisoners to friends outside which could be best done by having a bag hung up for the reception of these communications, to be taken to your office for examination at a certain hour, and any communication permitted to be sent to them can be returned in the same way, thus saving much vexation and annoyance. I wish you to give special attention to having the paroled sick sent without delay to the general hospital, and if it has not already been done you will see to the case of the ---.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SCHUYLER HAMILTON,

Brigadier General of Vols., U. S. Army, Commanding Saint Louis District.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 20, 1862.

This Department recognizes ast he first of its duties to take measures for the relief of the brave men who having imperiled their lives in the military service of the Government are now prisoners and captives; it is therefore

Ordered, That two commissioners be appointed to visit the city of Richmond, in Virginia, and wherever else prisoners belonging to the Army of the United States may be held, and there take such measures as may be needful to provide for the wants and contribute to the comfort of such prisoners at the expense of the United States, and to such extent as may be permitted by the authorities under whom such prisoners are held.

EDWIN M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

[JANUARY 20-23, 1862, - For Wool to Huger, proposing various individual exchanges, see "The Texas Surrender," Vol. I, this Series, pp. 74-75.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF NORFOLK,
Norfolk, Va., January 20, 1862.

Colonel J. DIMICK, Commanding at Fort Warren.

SIR: Some of the released prisoners from Fort Warren stated that you had not received notice of the release of Dr. De Witt C. Peters in exchange for Dr. Wyatt Mr. Brown. I have sent General Wool a copy of my letter of November 19* fully releasing Doctor Peters from his

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* See Vol. I, this Series, p. 67, for Huger to Wool, November 19, 1861.

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