a board of officers to investigate any case that may occur in their respective commands of the shooting of a prisoner by a member of the guard. A board of officers ordered from the headquarters of the department would certainly be less likely to be influenced by sympathy or bias than one composed of officers serving at the post, but, as the investigation is at best informal and only with a view to ascertain whether the transaction should be formally brought before a military tribunal, the board as ordered may be considered as sufficiently reliable.

By General Orders, Numbers 67, of June 7, 1862, the supervision of prisoners of war is placed in the hands of the Commissary-General of Prisoners, and under which order I have been in the habit of communicating directly with the commanders of stations where prisoners are held, and this had been found to be necessary time in communicating with them, to preserve uniformity of administration, and to secure proper responsibility from the commanders.

There have been cases, and there are now, where to pursue the usual course of communicating with a commander a letter from this office would have to pass through two or three different headquarters before reaching him, and when these headquarters are frequently changed in location and in the officers in command you will readily understand how much embarrassment and delay must result from the observance of the usual rule. In special cases where it seems to be necessary I apply directly to the commander of the department for assistance.

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

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., April 2, 1864.

Major General B. F. BUTLER,

Commissioner for Exchange, Fort Monroe, Va.:

GENERAL: An application has been presented to the Secretary of War by His Excellency Governor Brough, of Ohio, requesting that an effort be made to secure the release and exchange of Mr. Junius H. Browne, a newspaper correspondent now confined in Libby Prison, Richmond, and I am directed by the Secretary of War to inform you of this application, with a view that the release of Mr. Browne may be obtained whenever it is in your power.

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

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., April 2, 1864.

Major General B. F. BUTLER,

Commissioner for Exchange, Fort Monroe, Va.:

GENERAL: In the case of a hospital steward belonging to the rebel army, captured in the West, recently presented to the Secretary of War, he directs that in this particular case the party should be classed with non-combatants and should be sent beyond our lines for unconditional discharge. The Secretary of War further directs that the action in this case shall be adopted as a general rile if the rebel authorities will