Brigadier General J. M. Schofield, commanding District of Saint Louis, will send the two men, Skaggs and Downing, with a suitable escort to Rolla.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

N. H. McLEAN,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS SAINT LOUIS DISTRICT,
March 7, 1862.

Major McConnel will detail a non-commissioned officer to escort the within-named men to Rolla and turn them over to the commanding officer.

J. M. SCHOFIELD,

Brigadier-General.

CHICAGO, March 7, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

DEAR SIR: I am directed by the Young Men's Christian Association to state to you that they built a chapel for the use of our soldiers in Camp Douglas by permission of the commanding officer at their own expense, which is now occupied by the rebel prisoners as barracks by order of Colonel Mulligan, now in command. We continued to hold services with the prisoners the same as with our own soldiers until thus interrupted and, as we thought, much to the advantage of the Union cause. The buildings formerly used as stables for cavalry horses are vacant and are just as suitable for barracks as the chapel. The object of this is to solicit a general order upon the commanding officer here to allow our association every facility for holding meetings among the prisoners of a religious character and the undisturbed use of the chapel for that purpose or pay for the building if we cannot have the use of it, that we may expend the amount in distributing religious reading among our own soldiers, and we ask it for this reason. Our association has held meetings in different churches, taken up collections there and subscriptions outside to build the chapel and the money was freely given because there was such a dearth of religious privileges in the Army. While Providence has permitted our soldiers to fill this camp with our enemies we cannot but believe that we should preach the same gospel to them that we did to the brave fellows who in the march of events have turned the tide of battle in our favor. If the Government prevents it by taking our chapel we are not doing justice to those who contributed to build it unless we endeavor to have its value applied in the channel intended by them. You have the facts and I trust this is sufficient for you to know. We find no fault with Colonel Mulligan, presuming that the numerous duties of his command have perhaps served to delay action that seems to us worthy of immediate notice, so much the more so as the ministers ofde arrangements for a daily service among the prisoners.

Very respectfully, yours, &c.,

JOHN V. FARWELL,

President Young Men's Christian Association.

[Indorsement.]

Respectfully referred to commissary-general of prisoners, Colonel Hoffman, who is requested to give the necessary orders to leave the chapel at the disposal of the association to which it belongs.

M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General.