HOUSTON, April 7, 1864.

Captain W. SPALDING GOOD, Ordnance Department, Anderson:

The laws of the State give us the use of the county jails for the safe-keeping of military prisoners. It is the intention of the major-general commanding to send some, Baldwin, Peebles, &c., to Anderson, and he directs that you at once see the jailer and arrange with him for rooms, &c. We are, of course, required to furnish them with subsistence. You will also see that the jail is at once made perfectly secure, and quartermasters and all other officers are directed by the major-general commanding to furnish you whatever assistance, either in labor or ordnance stores. You will report by letter to these headquarters when your arrangements for the reception of these prisoners (say sixty in number) will be completed.

O. M. WATKINS,

Major and Assistant Adjutant-General.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., April 8, 1864.

Major General B. F. BUTLER,

Commissioner for Exchange, Fort Monroe, Va.:

GENERAL: On the 29th of February I had the honor to inform you that Captain Frank Battle, of the rebel army, had been ordered to be placed in irons at Fort Warren in retaliation for the confinement in irons of Captain Shad. Harris, Third East Tennessee Cavalry, but the Richmond authorities. I would respectfully inquire whether the assurance given by Mr. Ould that there are no Union prisoners in confinement in irons in the South covers the case of Captain Harris. I will be very much obliged to you for a copy of the proceedings of the board of officers who investigates the complaints made by rebel officers of the loss of their baggage while being officers of the loss of their baggage while being transferred from Johnson's Island to Point Lookout.

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

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

ROCK ISLAND, ILL., April 8, 1864.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN,

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

COLONEL: I have the honor to forward the following report of inspection of the Rock Island Prison barracks, April 5, 6, 7, 1864:

Of the eighty-four barracks within the prison inclosure twenty-one are at present fenced off from the main inclosure and used as follows, viz:

Commissary distributing store-house. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Quartermaster's distributing store-houses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Hospital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Garrison (quarters of six companies Thirty-seventh Iowa Volunteers). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Garrison (quarters of six companies Thirty-seventh Iowa Volunteers) laundresses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

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Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21