and I have to request you will have the system pt in force at Benton Barracks for all men who are not in organized companies. The accompanying scale* of rations is about what is issued, with perhaps a slight increase in the sugar and coffee. It is left for you to decide what the reduction should be. The fund accumulates very rapidly and it is necessary to have it carefully accounted for to prevent misapplication of it.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

WASHINGTON, May 13, 1863

Lieutenant Colonel W. H. LUDLOW:

Telegram of yesterday is received. All prisoners of war and citizen prisoners will be sent to you.

W. HOFFMAN.

Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., May 13, 1863

Captain W. C. THORPE,

Mustering and Disbursing Officer, Wheeling, Va.

CAPTAIN: Your leter of the 9th instant has been received, and in order to decide how far your duties under General Orders, Numbers 46, and Major Darr's under General Orders, Numbers 58, conflict I have referred your letter to Colonel Fry, Provost-Marshal-General, and the following is his indorsement thereon:

MAY 13, 1863

The duties of Major Darr under my bureau give him no control over paroled prisoners nor has he received any instructions from me on which to base the notice he has published in the papers as shown within. I know of no instructions given to him by General Schenck, and I have regarded Major Darr as being exclusively under my orders so far as the enrollment act is concerned since his assignment as provost-marshal-general of Western Virginia.

JAMES B. FRY.

From this it appears that the duties devolved upon you by the first-named orders are not transferred to Major Darr by the second and you will therefore perform the duties required of you as the mustering and disbursing officer. Please show Colonel Fry's indorsement to Major Darr that he may understand the views of the Provost-Marshal-[General.]

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN.

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS PAROLED PRISONERS,
Near Annapolis, Md., May 13, 1863

Colonel W. H. CHESEBROUGH,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Eighth Army Corps.

SIR: I have the honor to inform you that in accordance with instructions received from headquarters Eighth Army Corps I have examined

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*Not found.

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