OFFICE COMMISSIONER FOR EXCHANGE,

Fort Monroe, January 9, 1864.

Honorable ROBERT OULD,

Confederate Agent for Exchange, Richmond, Va.:

SIR: Will you please give me such information as you may be able to obtain concerning Captain John [S.] McDowell, Seventy- seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, captured at the battle of Chickamauga!

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

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General and Commissioner for Exchange.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, January 9, 1864.

Brigadier General PHILIP ST. GEORGE COOKE, U. S. Army,

Commanding District of Baton Rouge:

GENERAL; You are authorized to distribute a notice that the Port Hudson prisoners have not been exchanged by the Government.

By command of Major- General Banks:

C. P. STONE,

Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.

OFFICE COMMISSARY- GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., January 9, 1864.

Brigadier General W. W. ORME,

Commanding Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st ultimo relative to the frauds practiced at Camp Douglas in the issues of subsistence to prisoners of war, and reporting the employment of prisoners of war by various person as about the camp. When the report called for in my letter of the 4th instant is received I will lay the whole matter of the fraudulent issues of provisions before the Secretary of War, and will at the same time call his attention to your suggestion to compel the contractor to pay into the prison fund the value of the rations retained. The parties contracting with the Government are responsible that its terms are faithfully complied with, and I do not think they can shift the responsibility on the sub- contractors or any third party.

The practice of employing prisoners of war by individuals in camp is not with my approbation, and should not be permitted, though there would be possibly no objection in a single case, yet it opens the door to irregularities and the only safe way is to forbid the except in official employments, as at the hospital.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary- General of Prisoners.

W. M. Ellington asks if clothing can be sent to a Confederate prisoner at point Lookout. *

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*Ellington's letter not found.

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