Captain Godwin, Company A, Sixth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, and forty-six men of his company, captured lately at Oakland, Md., on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and released on parole, have been directed to return at once to duty. The same course is to be pursued with others captured and released at different points in West Virginia, in compliance with above order.

Very respectfully,

JOS. DARR, JR.,

Major and Provost-Marshal-General.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS.

Washington, D. C., May 14, 1863

Colonel W. HOFFMAN, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

COLONEL: Under instructions received from this office on the 11th instant I have the honor to submit the following report upon the progress making in the construction of the new camp for paroled prisoners near Annapolis, Md., and of the affairs of the present camp used for paroled prisoners so far as it seemed necessary to examine into and report upon the, and so far as they are not embraced in previous reports by me of the same camp:

Due notice has been given in the public prints by the assistant quartermaster at Annapolis, Captain Blodgett, in soliciting proposals for lumber, roofing and building material designed to be used in the construction of the buildings at the new camp, and these advertisements have been very freely responded to by parties willing to furnish what is required. The bids for lumber were opened on Saturday last and the lowest (and accepted) bid for white pine lumber was $23. 90 per 1,000 feet, and for scantling, per 1,000 feet, $20. As yet no contract has been awarded though the terms of the advertisement permitted the amount to be sufficiently varied and made the terms of delivery subject to the quartermaster's control. I submit an estimate, marked A*, by Captain Blodgett of the probable cost of one building of 100 by 20 feet, on the basis that the works is all done by regular employer and at the prices near the present market value of material, though I think that the estimate is rather more liberal in its terms than would be absolutely required even in using all new material and hired labor. There are now preparing at the old camp a large quantity of foundation logs or string pieces to be used in the new buildings. Several hundred have been squared and completed and are now on the ground to be occupied. This is I believe the extent of the progress made in the construction of the new camp. Your verbal instructions to me I placed upon paper for the use of Colonel Sangster and Captain Blodgett. I inclose a copy.

Independently of the position given from this office to the commanding officer at Camp Parole no material changes have been made in the affairs there more than would be slowly developed on the system heretofore pursued or previously to the date of my last report. These instructions concern the guard, the assistant officers sent there, the records, the furnishing of supplies to the men, the employment of clerks, construction of sinks and generally speaking have been well carried out and what relates to them is assuming a more satisfactory condition. A daily guard of seventy-two men is mounted from the soldiers now stationed at the camp but formerly occupying the College

---------------

*Omitted.

---------------