OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., April 19, 1863.

Captain E. L. WEBBER,

Commanding Military Prison, Camp Chase, Ohio.

CAPTAIN: In reply to communication of Captain John C. Moon, of April 10, 1863, in relation to clothing and other articles taken from prisoners of war I am directed by the commissary-general of prisoners to request you to have a list made of the various articles and to whom belonging, specifying the character of the articles, whether contraband or otherwise, and forward the list of this office. You are directed to place them in charge of the quartermaster for storage, taking his receipts for them.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. T. HARTZ,

Captain and Assistant Adjutant-General.

FRANKLIN, TENN., April 20, 1863.

General ROSECRANS:

All quiet in front. Received an answer to my dispatch from Van Dorn to-day about our wounded at Columbia. The matter was referred to Bragg, who ignores me, but is ready to enter into arrangements with you in reference to exchange.

G. GRANGER,

Major-General.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., April 20, 1863.

Honorable E. M. STANTON, Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.

SIR: I have the honor to inclose herewith reports made by the commanders of Camp Douglas and the military prison at Alton of the inspection made of prisoners of war before being transferred to City Point with a view to prevent the communication of smallpox by them on the line of travel.

The report of Major Hendrickson, commanding Alton Prison, accompanied by the report of the medical officer in charge, shows that a careful inspection was made of the prisoners sent forward and that all proper precautions were taken to prevent the spread of the contagion, and it has not been reported to me that there were any cases among the prisoners sent from that prison.

The report of General Ammen, commanding Camp Douglas, gives no satisfactory details of the steps taken to guard against the possibility of the disease being communicated by prisoners from his camp.

So far from taking time for a thorough inspection and cleansing of those designated to leave some of them were ordered to move the day after the receipt of General Wright's order and it is not possible that in that brief time all proper and necessary preparations could have been made.

General Ammen states that the prisoners were examined by the principal surgeon (whose name is not given) and his assistant, but no report is made by the surgeon of the manner in which this inspection was made, nor what else was done if anything to insure that the contagion should not be carried with them. The general does not state who the assisting surgeons were, but some of them were possibly surgeons in the rebel army who were among the prisoners and who would be much