office. Any clothing or other articles will be taken possession of by the commanding officer to be used for the benefit of other prisoners.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

[Indorsement.]

Make copies of this communication and send to the medical directors in the department, and direct that they govern themselves accordingly.

J. TOTTEN,

Brigadier-General.

MORTON, August 31, 1863. *

Memorandum for Major-General Lee.

* * * * *

While inspecting Colonel Logan's troops, to inquire into the truth of the report that after the recent action near Jackson, La., twenty-three prisoners (one white officer and twenty-two colored and negro privates) were put to death in cold blood and without form of law, and if it is true, to bring the culprits to trial.

* * * * *

J. E. JOHNSTON,

General.

Caleb Smith, major commanding Camp Lewis, wishes to know if paroled prisoners can guard Government property in transitu.

[Indorsement.]

AUGUST 31, 1863.

Respectfully returned to General Winder. Paroled men are not to discharge any military duty.

ROBERT OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., September 1, 1863.

Brigadier General A. SCHOEPF,

Commanding Fort Delaware, Del.:

GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of a report made to the Surgeon-General by Medical Inspector Cuyler on the sanitary condition of the prisoners at Fort Delaware, in which he recommends several measures to be adopted to improve the condition of the prison, barracks, and the adjacent grounds, and these recommendations are approved by the Surgeon-General. + I respectfully refer the report to you to be carried out generally as far as you think necessary. I presume the expense will not be great, and can be paid out of the prison fund. It will not be advisable to reduce the number of bunks, because there may be times when the number of prisoners in our hands will make it necessary to fill up the barracks, even at the risk of being over-crowded. At this time the excess can be provided for by sending them

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*For omitted portions, see Series I, Vol. XXX, Part IV, p. 573.

+See extract embodied in Barnes to Hammond, August 28, p. 235.

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