COLUMBUS, OHIO, April 3, 1862.

Major-General HALLECK:

Your telegram has been handed me by commanding officer at Camp Chase. The complaints are entirely unfounded. No prisoners are permitted to come to Columbus except those expressly paroled by you to remain here, and a few sick to save their lives; returned to camp as soon as well. An agent from Secretary of War left here to-day entirely satisfied.

C. P. BUCKINGHAM.

Adjutant-General.

COLUMBUS, OHIO, April 3, 1862.

His Excellency DAVID TOD,

Governor of Ohio, Columbus.

SIR: The Secretary of War having assigned to me the duty of ascertaining the truth of certain statements alleging in substance a laxity of discipline among the prisoners of war at this place and vicinity, with directions to correct the abuses complained of, and finding that the prisoners are under your charge and that by the rules and regulations established for their government that the instructions of the Secretary in regard to them have thereby been anticipated in nearly every particular, there only remains for me to communicate his orders on one or two points. These points relate to the liberty extended to some of the prisoners who are on parole and to letters to and from them which are found to be improper in their tenor. The instructions of the Secretary requiring all letters of this nature to be submitted to him and all prisoners at liberty to be confined I respectfully request that you will cause the latter to be sent to the prison at Camp Chase and the former forwarded in accordance with these instructions. If the prisoners are removed from under your charge please transfer these instructions as well as those orders already established for their government to the officer in command.

I remain, Governor, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. JONES,

Assistant Inspector-General, U. S. Army.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Columbus, Ohio, April 3, 1862.

Major R. JONES, Assistant Inspector-General, U. S. Army:

Your communication of this date in relation to the government of the prisoners at Camp Chase is before me. As requested all letters to or from the prisoners which I may consider improper to be delivered shall be forwarded to the Secretary of War. As to the request that I cause all prisoners now on parole to this city to be sent to the prison at Camp Chase you have herewith a list* of all prisoners now on parole showing by whom paroled and for what cause, and as I presume that the Secretary of War was ignorant of the state of matters I will take the responsibility of waiting until I shall hear further from him after you have made your report to him before I act in the matter.

Respectfully, yours,

DAVID TOD,

Governor.

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* Not found.

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