OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., April 11, 1863.

HENRY S. DUNCAN,

Third Master, U. S. Ram Queen of the West, Newark, N. J.

SIR: Your letter of the 25th ultimo addressed to the Secretary of the Navy has been referred to the War Department with the indorsement that your name does not appear on the books of the Navy Department. Though there is no muster-roll of the crew of the Queen of the West on file in the Adjutant-General's Office it is not doubted that you belong to the military service, and being a paroled prisoner of war by direction of the General-in-Chief you will without delay report to the commanding officer at Benton Barracks, near Saint Louis, where you will remain till you are exchanged. In the meantime information will be obtained showing your position in the Army and on which you can be paid whatever may be due you. You will call on the quartermaster at New York, Major S. Van Vliet, for transportation to Benton Barracks.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

(Same mutatis mutandis to C. S. Edison, second master, New York City; James W. Foster, carpenter, New York City; William E. Taylor, first assistant engineer, and Asst. Surg. D. L. Booth, U. S. ram Queen of the West).

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington City, April 11, 1863.

Colonel GEORGE H. CROSMAN,

Assistant Quartermaster-General, Philadelphia.

COLONEL: The Secretary of War directs the Quartermaster-General to cause to be constructed on Pea Patch Island additional barracks for 5,000 prisoners. You will take immediate measures to carry out this order of the War Department.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. S. SIBLEY,

Brevet Colonel, U. S. Army, Deputy Quartermaster-General.

(Copy to Colonel William Hoffman, commissary-general of prisoners, Washington, D. C.)

OFFICE QUARTERMASTER, U. S. ARMY,

Baltimore, Md., April 11, 1863.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General Prisoners, Washington, D. C.

COLONEL: I desire to call your attention to the fact that Confederate prisoners have been arriving here in large bodies without any previous intimation to me of their coming. The consequence is that I have been exceedingly embarrassed to find accommodation for them till transportation could be provided. I am this moment informed that nine Confederate prisoners were left at the Western police station last night sick with typhoid fever, &c. I have sent to the medical director and requested that a surgeon be sent at once to examine then and to designate a hospital in which they can be received. But where did these