truce, accompanied by many officers and citizens, upon the frivolous pretext above states, evidently within he intention of discovering our force and intentions. Under these circumstances by the usages of war the dispatch bearer adn those with him were subject to be made prisoners and the steamer captured, adn we feel it our duty to inform you that a repetilion of such an unwarrantable abuse of a falg of truce will not again be tolerated. Your letter though dated the 22nd evidently was not dispatches till after firing your first gun, near 11 o'clock, more than an hour before your flag of truce was seen about two mils from your batteries, and certainly dispatches after the gun was discharged.

Regretting that we have to animadvert on this flagrant departure from the established usage of flags of truce, we are,

ANDREW H. FOOTE.

Commanding U. S. Naval Forces Western Waters.

GEO. W. CULLUM,

Brigadier General, Chief of Statff and Engs., Dept. of the Missouri.

SAINT LOUIS, February 24, 1862.

Brigadier-General CULLUM, Cairo:

Send the families of Buckner, Hanson and Madeira back to Columus. They should not have been received without my orders. I cannot ascertain where are parties named have been sent. When they are property disposed of it will be time enough to decide about their families joining them. The question of the disposition of these prisoners of war is not [yet] decided at Washington. Wait for orders.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General.

CHICAGO, February 24, 1862.

Major-General HALLECK:

Thre are now about 7,000 prisoners here at Camp Douglas. There is not even a fence about the barracks. The troops there are all skeleton regiments and artillery companies, with most of their men absent. The guard that accompanied the prisoners here has not expected to do duty here. There is not a suffiecient force under the present discipline to properly guard the prisoners. I suppose there are 1,000 stand of arms at the camp, but the city is entirely destinute. I have seen two city police have taken, with the small guard accompanying, 1,000 to 1,500 prisoners one to two miles through the city and located them at the camp.

The secession officers are not kept separate from the men, and our best citizens are in great alarm for fear that the prisoners will break through and burn the city. I am assured by men familiarly acquainted with these people that there is the utmost danger, and I am sure there is nothing to prevent such destruction but their temprary ingnorance. I ask that you will immediately give the necessary orders to have the camp put in better order, the expense of which can be but small, and there be the other necessary orders issued to secure our city's safety. Its destruction would surely do away with the glorious victory at Donelson. I have tried for two days to avoid calling upon you, but now feel it my imperative duty.

JULIAN S. RUMSEY,

Mayor of the City of Chicago.