OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., May 6, 1863.

Surgeon SIMPSON,

Medical Director Eighth Army Corps, Baltimore, Md.

SIR: By the accounts for expenditures for the hospital at Camp Parole made from the camp fund it appears that in the month of April stores of various kinds were purchased to the amount of $995, including among the articles twelve barrels of tale and one barrel of whisky. No account of a hospital fund has been made to me and I am therefore unable to say if there is such a fund or how much of it has been expended for the benefit of the sick. There are now 122 sick in hospital and it appears to me that the expenditures have been of the most extravagant character. But as this can only be determined by the examination of a medical officer I have the honor to request that you will immediately cause a minute inspection of the affairs of the hospital to be made and a report of the results forwarded to this office.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., May 6, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel GEORGE SANGSTER,

Commanding Camp Parole, near Annapolis, Md.

COLONEL: I inclose herewith your draft on Captain Sullivan for $5,000 approved. Hereafter I desire that a full settlement be made at the end of each month, leaving no debts unpaid, and to effect this you will make timely estimates for funds, specifying as I have already directed for what purpose it is to be used. Your purchases for the hospital are very heavy. Have you a hospital fund; what is the amount of it, and what amount was expended in April for the benefit of the sick? The number of employer in the hospital seems to be unnecessarily large, and you will make no payment for extra services until you have reported the number employed and the number of sick, on which report you will wait my decision. Report also the number of team at once and send an account with vouchers, rolls of extra-duty men, &c. Your tri-monthly and monthly returns have too much ornamental labor on them which unnecessarily occupies the time of your clerks.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., May 6, 1863.

Major R. O. SELFRIDGE,

Asst. Adjt. General, Department of the Northwest, Milwaukee, Wis.

SIR: Your letter of the 30th ultimo making inquiries in relation to the exchange of certain volunteers from Wisconsin is received and in reply I have to inform you that I am unable to say whether the men referred to have been exchanged or not as no rolls of them have been furnished to this office, and until I received your letter I was not aware that there were any paroled troops in Wisconsin. By General Orders, Numbers 72, from the War Department of June last, paroled prisoners of