HEADQUARTERS PAROLED PRISONERS, Near Annapolis, Md., May 25, 1863.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN,
Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington, D. C.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd instant directing me to explain why I sent but 771 men to Washington instead of 1,000, on which I would respectfully report that I sent all the men that had clothing sufficient to cover their nakedness; and not having clothing to give the others I thought it would be prudent to keep them here until I could get clothing for them instead of sending them naked to a new camp. I would also respectfully report the reason I did not send officers to Washington to remain with the men was that I had no orders to send officers. The order was to send men, and a telegram previous to that gave me orders to hold all eastern officers until further orders; that is, officers in the Army of the Potomac. I acted on the order and did not send any officers to remain there. I have ordered twenty-four officers to proceed to report to Colonel McKelvy which will be a great relief to me, I having but poor quarters for them.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. SANGSTER,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Paroled Prisoners.

WHEELING, VA., May 25, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel W. H. CHESEBROUGH,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

SIR: I beg leave to call your attention to a paper dated May 7, 1863, approved by Governor Peripoint, submitted to the major-general commanding recommending that eight females of this city indicted for treason and perjury in September, 1861, but not tried should be sent beyond the lines. If the communication I refer to has been mislaid or miscarried I will forward copy.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOS. DARR, Jr.,

Major and Military Commander.

OFFICE PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL, Murfreesborough, May 25, 1863.

Brigadier-General GARFIELD,

Chief of Staff, Department of the Cumberland.

GENERAL: As directed by the major-general commanding I proceeded at 11 p. m. yesterday with a guard of six men to the railroad depot and received the person of C. L. Vallandigham, a prisoners from the Department of the Ohio, conducted him to my office and after furnishing him with refreshments I in company with Colonel J. C. McKibbin, aide-de-camp, and with two companies of the Fourth U. S. Cavalry as escort conveyed him to the house of Mr. Butler, five miles south from Murfreesborough on the Shelbyville pike, where the prisoner was kept under close guard until daylight when we proceeded as far as to our cavalry vedettes. Here the escort was halted and the prisoner left in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel Ducat, inspector-general of the department.

45 R R-SERIES II, VOL V