side and a door at each end, to be paid for our of the prison fund. The hospital affairs must be very badly managed if, the hospital fund is not sufficient to purchase all the furniture of all kinds that is required for the hospital. You will require the surgeon in charge to make an immediate report of the average number of sick for the month of September, the amount of rations due the hospital, the amount drawn, the savings in rations and money, the articles purchased, and the fund remaining on hand. This report must be forwarded within five days after the receipt of this letter and a like report will be made at the end of this month. At the end of this month you will report what has been done to carry out the instructions contained in this letter on the several points above mentioned, taking them in the order mentioned.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., October 24, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel W. S. PIERSON,

Commanding Depot Prisoners of War, Sandusky, Ohio:

COLONEL: Your several letters of the 17th, 18th, and 19th are received. If the smallpox should prevail to an extent to make it necessary to accommodate the patients and defray the cost from the prison fund. The pretended alarm of some of the prisoners is matter of little consequence. In my letter of the 19th instant I omitted to mention that Surgeon Clark reported your grave-yard much neglected, without fence, and the graves too shallow. Let it be corrected at once. Put up a suitable fence and have the graves dug sufficiently deep. The value of Medical Inspector Humphreys' opinion is shown by his recommending a guard of one regiment, that is, two men to every five prisoners. The risk and the hardships of troops in the field are much greater than is experienced by your command, but to remove any possible chance of an uprising on the part of the prisoners, I have advised that the Michigan be sent to the bay if she can lie there as conveniently as at Erie.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

VICKSBURG, October 24, 1863.

Major General J. B. McPHERSON, Commanding at Vicksburg:

GENERAL: My object in visiting this place under flag of truce is to effect an arrangement with you for the exchange of any officers who have been or may [be] captured by your command, giving officer for officer of equal rank. This proposition is made in consequence of there being some difficulty existing between the Federal and Confederate Governments in regard to a general exchange of prisoners of war, the place of exchange to be at or near Big Black River or such other point as may be agreed upon. My headquarters or present are at Mobile, Ala., and any communication sent me through the Confederate pickets beyond Big Black River will reach me promptly.

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

N. G. WATTS,

Lieutenant-Colonel and Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.