EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Columbus, Ohio, March 16, 1862.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN, Sandusky, Ohio:

Herewith I send you a copy of letter* this day written Secretary Stanton. I would be glad to be advised as to the continuance of this prison here. When shall I have the pleasure of seeing you?

Very truly, yours,

DAVID TOD,

Governor.

SAINT LOUIS, March 16, 1862.

Governor RICHARD YATES, Springfield:

Arrange as soon as possible to remove all prisoners of war from Springfield to Chicago. This will be shown to the quartermaster as his authority to provide transportation.

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Sandusky, Ohio, March 16, 1862.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL:

Hdqrs. Department of the Mississippi Saint Louis, Mo.

SIR: I am directed by the Quartermaster-General to confer with General Halleck in relation to ordering prisoners of war to the depot near this city.

The depot can receive at once 250 officers and 700 or 800 enlisted men. The [plan] of the work contemplates a large expansion and steps are being taken to increase the accommodation sufficiently to provide for several thousand. Four buildings were put up especially for officers and prisoners of state, being made up of small rooms for four or five persons and they would not be convenient for soldiers.

The prisoners at Lafayette, Ind., are in a pork house, a very unsuitable place and much crowded, from which they should be removed imediately. There are 700 to 800 of them and I recommend that they be sent here.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Lieutenant Colonel Eighth Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Springfield, March 17, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK, Saint Louis.

GENERAL: The commissioners appointed to examine prisoners of war arrived here this morning, and from intimations from them I infer that it is possible many of them will be released before long. There are at Chicago, 5,500 and here 1,847, making a total of 7,347. It has been suggested that you will probably send more prisoners to this State in a few days. If this be so there will not be room at Camp Douglas, Chicago, for more than are now there and those now here, and if it is likely that you will soon send 1,000 or 2,000 more to this State it is suggested that they better be sent directly to Chicago and those now here remain. Colonel Mulligan reports of his regiment in Camp Douglas there are