The sutler is entirely under your control and you will see that he furnishes proper articles and at reasonable rates, and you will impose a tax upon him for the privilege according to the amount of his trade. This tax will make part of the fund available for the prisoners' benefit.

Visitors to the camp out of mere curiosity will in no case be permitted. Persons having business with the commanding officer or quartermaster may with the permission of the commanding officer enter the camp to remain only long enough to transact their business. When prisoners are seriously ill their nearest relatives, parents, brothers or sisters, if they are loyal people, may make them short visits.

All articles contributed by friends of the prisoners in whatever shape they come if proper to be received will be carefully distributed as the donors may request, such articles as are intended for the sick passing through the hands of the surgeon, who will be responsible for their proper use.

Prisoners will not be permitted to write letters of more than one page of common letter paper, the matter to be strictly of a private nature or the letter must be destroyed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Madison, Wis., July 1, 1862.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN, U. S. Army,

Commissary-General of Prisoners, Detroit, Mich.

COLONEL: The State of Wisconsin has on hand 1,073 jackets and 9,013 trousers of heavy gray twilled cottonade of excellent quality, a sample of which I inclose. These were procured for the use of troops mustered into the service of the United States but being of an unsuitable color have not been used. If you can with propriety relieve us of them for the use of prisoners I shall be pleased to sell them or deliver them to you, taking your receipt. The contract price was $4. 17 for jacket and trousers.

Yours, respectfully,

W. W. TREDWAY,

Quartermaster-General.

SAINT LOUIS, July 1, 1862.

Brigadier General BEN. LOAN, Commanding, Saint Joseph, Mo.

GENERAL: I am directed by Colonel Farrar, provost-marshal-general of the District of Missouri, to inform you that he has information that in the vicinity of the Hannibal and Saint Joseph Railroad and near Chillicothe large quantities of clothing are being made by the people, and that they represent that they are making it by the permission of the provost-marshal-general for the use of the prisoners at Alton. No such permission has been given them. The prisoners are abundantly supplied with the gray clothing on hand at the time the order of the Secretary of War was made requiring blue to be worn. There is no doubt they are making clothing for the rebel army, and I respectfully suggest that they be deprived of all clothing and material not necessary to their own use. Every day new evidences are given of preparations