There are 5,000 beds in this hospital and its location is very healthy and pleasant. The regulations established and ordered by the Commissary-General of Prisoners appear to be well enforced. Patients in the hospital building are furnished with no clothing except hospital underclothing, save those about to be exchanged, who receive one shirt, one pair of drawers, and one pair of pants each. In the tents where patients are able to go to the mess rooms, pants, drawers, shirts, and shoes, partially, are issued, but no hats. No clothing has been received from benevolent societies except hats (common straw), shoes, and a few coarse woolen overshirts. Surgeon Simons deems it essential to the health of these prisoners that they be supplied with coats or woolen overshirts, as the nights are becoming cold; also with shoes and hats. I concur with him in this recommendation. He also assures me that no rebel uniforms have been received by any of the prisoners, to his knowledge, neither did I see any in my inspection. The whole amount of everything received from charitable associations, including provisions, clothing, crutches, &c., would be about $3,000. No wants of any kind exist except for clothing, and for this they were suffering to a certain extent. The pants furnished by the Government are very inferior.

This institution is well managed and admirably arranged for a hospital, and the prisoners seemed very well contended to remain there.

C. H. CRANE,

Surgeon, U. S. Army, late Medical Inspector Prisoners of War.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO,
Cincinnati, Ohio, September 10, 1863.

Brigadier-General WILLCOX,

Commanding District of Indiana and Michigan, Indianapolis:

The Governor of Ohio and General Cox have been informed of the purport of your dispatch of last evening. * If Vallandigham crosses he is to be at once arrested and sent under a strong guard direct to Fort Warren.

By command of Major-General Burnside:

W. P. ANDERSON,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

OFFICE COMMISSIONER FOR EXCHANGE,

Fort Monroe, Va., September 10, 1863.

Major General E. A. HITCHCOCK,

Commissioner for Exchange, Washington, D. C.:

SIR: I have just received a communication from the rebel agent of exchange, in which, after expressing great astonishment at having received no reply to his proposition of August 24, 1863 (which I forwarded to you), and no explanation as to the cause of my delay in answering it, he concludes as follows:

I therefore inform you that the Confederate authorities will consider themselves entirely at liberty to pursue any course with reference to any written proposition to you which they may deem right and proper under all the circumstances of the case.

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

S. A. MEREDITH,

Brigadier-General and Commissioner for Exchange.

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*See also Cox to Burnside, Series I, Vol. XXX, Part III, p. 522.

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