prisoners are thus occupied by permission of General Schenck, granted recently. While here the prisoners are provided with full rations regularly issued, the cooking of which is done by details from among them, with the exception of bread, which is sent from the Navy-Yard Hospital. They are also well provided with fuel. The arrangements above referred to have all made within about three weeks, previous to which time the men were upon their arrival taken to Camp Parole as soon as possible and provided for there, and with but a single exception they have been made comparatively comfortable upon the day of arrival at Annapolis. This exception occurred about two weeks since when about 300 men of 700 arriving late in the day and during a storm were for the night placed in a large store-house near the wharf. They were, however, given an abundance of fuel, 1,700 pounds of straw and one blanket each for the night and were immediately provided with rations. It appears that before the arrangement above described was made there was delay (owing to the large number sent to Annapolis and without previous notice) in properly providing for the wants of the prisoners, and of course at an inclement season of the year considerable suffering must have attended such tardiness. But at present the quartermaster's stores, except a few kept for immediate use at the camp store-house, are all stored in convenient buildings near the wharf, and as all commissary stores required by prisoners are drawn from the post commissary the requisitions upon these officers made by the inspecting officer in charge of the prisoners while at the College Green Barracks are immediately filled, the post bakery supplying fresh bread, and consequently unless the number of prisoners arriving is very large there can be no just cause for complaint. It is evident, however, that the present facilities could be greatly extended if the commanding officer at Camp Parole was duly notified of the probable arrival of prisoners. Increased accommodations should also in my opinion be prepared at the College Green Barracks.

Guards. - At present the 347 men of the Potomac Home Brigade occupying them furnish daily to the Navy Yard Hospital a guard of six men and to Camp Parole a daily guard of ninety men, which is the entire and only infantry guard at Camp Parole. I wold recommend that instead of marching these ninety men to the camp each day, a distance of two miles from the barracks, all the Potomac Home Brigade now at College Green Barracks be sent to Camp Parole, with the exception of about twenty-four men and non-commissioned officers. These could occupy one of the buildings above referred to and have the care of them all and furnish the daily guard at the general hospital, while it is evident that not only daily guard at the general hospital, while it is evident that not only the inconvenience of sending the guard so long a distance to Camp Parole daily would be avoided, but the moral effect of the presence of a larger body of men as a guard at that point, permanently stationed there, would be beneficial both to the prisoners and the guard, for the latter now seem to consider it a special personal favor conferred by them daily upon the camp and its commanding officer by their going there, and they do not perhaps attend so faithfully to their duties as they should and could be better made to do were the guard and its officers immediately under the control of the officer in charge at Camp Parole instead of the officer commanding the post of Annapolis (see Paper A1*), to whom only do they seem to think themselves wholly accountable. Besides this the vacation of the barracks now occupied would leave seven large buildings readily accommodating 1,000 men in all for the reception of the

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* Not found.

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