Department relative to paroled prisoners, and when they are deviated from with your approval may I ask the favor of being informed of the change?

Very respectfully your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., May 13, 1863

Brigadier General J. H. MARTINDALE

Commanding Military District of Washington, Washington, D. C.

GENERAL: By authority of the General-in-Chief I have the honor to request you will order all prisoners of war in this city including officers, with the exceptions heretofore made of those having special charges against them, and all citizen prisoners who are subjects for exchange, to be delivered at City Point as early as practicable. Duplicate parole rolls should be sent with the prisoners, and a roll without the parole is required for this office. It is expected that paroled Federal prisoners of war will be delivered in this city in a few days and the returning steamer can take the rebel prisoners to be delivered at City Point. I will give you early notice on this point.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN.

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS.

Washington, May 13, 1863

Colonel B. L. E. BONNEVILLE,

Commanding Benton Barracks, Saint Louis, Mo.

COLONEL: I am authorized by the Secretary of War to create a fund for the benefit of paroled prisoners of war by the sale of the surplus rations to the Subsistence Department. These rations are to be turned over to the commissary who pays for them just as for the savings of a company, except that he holds the money in his hands and acts as treasurer of the fund, which he disburses on the order of the commanding officer of the camp. Proper books must be procured for keeping the accounts of the fund, and monthly accounts are required for this office, with vouchers showing the amount of savings and the amount expended. Of course the money after being accounted for in paying for the savings is dropped from his accounts to the Subsistence Department. The fund is used for promoting the welfare of the men by purchasing all necessary table and kitchen furniture all proper articles for the sick, paying extra pay to clerks at headquarters, paying clerks and extra-duty men in quartermaster's and commissary departments and cooks and attendants in hospital whose duties are mainly with paroled prisoners, and in purchasing all utensils for preserving the police of the barracks. When detachments leave to join their regiments each man should be furnished with a cup, plate, knife, fork and spoon. As there are rarely any full companies among the prisoners of war this arrangement puts into a useful shape a large amount of rations which otherwise must be thrown away, and contributes much to the welfare of the troops, while it saves expense in many ways to the Government,