WASHINGTON, December 1, 1863.

General S. A. MEREDITH:

Have you any reason to suppose that Mr. Ould had made a distinction between the supplies sent forward for our prisoners refusing to send some and sending others? Has he indicated a distention as between Government supplies, State supplies, and supplies sent by individuals? Do you now believe that the supplies reach the prisoners either in whole or in part, and to what extent? If necessary you will make the inquiries of Mr. Ould by a special trip of the flag-of-truce boat, putting your inquiry in he simple form of a question.

E. A. HITCHCOCK.

FORTRESS MONROE, VA., December 1, 1863.

Major General E. A. HITCHCOCK,

Commissioner of Exchange, Washington, D. C.:

The flag-of-truce boat has this moment arrived. The only reason I had to doubt the distribution of Government supplies was the report of the surgeon as to not receiving meat for four days and the reports of Doctors Myers and Meeker. These doubts are now in a great measure removed, as I learn unofficially that several officers in charge of our prisoners at Richmond have been cashiered. I shall forward to-morrow morning a large lot of supplies and hope to have a report from Richmond on the boat, which I will forward to you.

S. A MEREDITH,

Brigadier-General.

OFFICE COMMISSIONER FOR EXCHANGE,

Fortress Monroe, Va., December 1, 1863.

Colonel WILLIAM HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington, D. C.:

COLONEL: I have the honor to inform you that Andrew Johnston, Jr., has been released in exchange for Lieutenant-Colonel Chandler, and I have this day ordered him to report in person to you.

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

S. A. MEREDITY,

Brigadier-General and Commissioner for Exchange.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., December 1, 1863.

Brigadier General A. SCHOEPF, Commanding Fort Delaware, Del.:

GENERAL: By direction of the Secretary of War you will prohibit all trade with the sutler by prisoners of war at Fort Delaware. See that this order is strictly carried out.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissioner-General of Prisoners.

(Same, mutatis mutandis, to Brigadier General G. Marston, commanding depot prisoners of war, Point Lookout, Md. ; Colonel William Wallace, commanding Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio; Colonel G. W. Kincaid, commanding military prison, Alton, Ill. ; Colonel C. V. De Land, commanding Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill. ; Colonel Stevens, Camp Morton, Ind.)

40 R R-SERIES II, VOL VI