sick, such being at once removed tot he U. S. general hospital. At present there is but one case of illness, and that but slight. A medical officer visits the prison daily to give attention to such as need it. He is said to perform his duties well. There are at present forty- four prisoners, mostly political, confined in this prison. no prison fund has accumulated; merely sufficient being saved to furnish lights and cooking utensils. The suggestions which I found it necessary to make were that the interior of the whole building be whitewashed at least once per month; that it be at once cleaned and purified, and that stricter attention be paid to police.

I leave to- morrow for Louisville, staying at the Glt House, and thence to Indianapolis, staying at the Gates House.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. M. CLARK,

Surgeon and acting Medical Inspector Prisoners of War.

HEADQUARTERS EIGHTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA,

Fort Monroe, January 17, 1864.

Major Gne. H. W. HALLECK, General- in-Chief:

SIR; I received this morning the inclosed communications from Colonel Spear, commanding the exterior line, near Norfolk.

I reported some time since to the War Department the action of Brigadier-General Wild, to which this is in retaliation. Were this the act of General Pickett simply, I should readily know what course to pursue, but it is evidently the act of the Confederate Government. Private Jones, Company B, Fifth Ohio Volunteers,* was evidently taken from among the prisoners of war at Richmond and turned over to General Pickett for this purpose; therefore it seems to me to be a subject for the action of the Government, not for the action of a commander of a department.

The strongest evidence that this is the action of the Confederate Government which I have is the fact that we have no Ohio troops in the department upon whom vengeance could have been wreaked in this way.

This action may be as well met now as at any time. Our Government has suffered its officers and soldiers to be outlawed for doing their duty. It has suffered its prisoners to be starved without retaliation, and now hanging is superadded. I state the fact. I do not presume to offer advice.

I have also the honor to inclose a letter from Colonel Hinton to me upon this subject.

I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. F. BUTLER,

Major-General, Commanding.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES,
Near portsmouth, Va., January 16, 1864.

Major Gne. B. F. BUTLER,

Commanding Department of Virginia and North Carolina:

GENERAL: Pardon me for addressing you direct in an official communication, but the nature is such that I deemed it prudent to do so and to send the documents by an officer as special messenger.

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*But see Butler to Halleck, January 20, p. 858.

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