charge of prisoners of war to insure their security and their proper observance of orders, and you are therefore cautioned to put your command in a condition to meet any emergency. Your daily guards must have a full complement of officers and the guard duty must be performed in the strictest manner.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

(Same to Colonel A. J. Johnson, commanding Depot Prisoners of War, Rock Island, Ill. ; Colonel B. J. Sweet, commanding Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill. ; Colonel A. A. Stevens, commanding Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Ind. ; Colonel P. A. Porter, commanding Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Md. ; Brigadier General E. W. Hinks, commanding District of Saint Mary's, Point Lookout, Md. ; Brigadier General H. D. Terry, commanding U. S. forces, Sandusky City, Ohio; Brigadier General A. Schoepf, commanding Fort Delaware, Del. ; Brigadier General Joseph T. Copeland, commanding Alton military prison, Alton, Ill.)

[MAY 6, 1864. -For Eldridge to Cobb, reporting condition of affairs at Andersonville, see inclosure to Cobb to Cooper, May 5, p. 120.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, May 6, 1864.

Lieutenant General E. KIRBY SMITH:

SIR: I am instructed by the Secretary of War to request you to retain the prisoners who are now in your hands, and especially those captured in your recent successful and brilliant engagements on Red River. I do not know whether a proper construction of the recent cartel between Generals Taylor and Banks would embrace these prisoners or not. It is extremely disadvantageous to the general interests of exchange to have partial or even supplementary cartels. Confusion must necessarily be introduced if any such plan is followed. If a surplus of prisoners is captured at any point they should be used for the benefit of our prisoners generally, according to the terms of the cartel of June [July], 1862. Of course I do not wish to be understood as making any objection to a mutual exchange of prisoners after an agreement or a series of them to the extent of the numbers actually held by the enemy. I will thank you to inform me at an early day, either by special messenger or otherwise, as to the number of prisoners in your hands and where they are confined.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

RO. OULD,

Agent of Exchange.

MAY --, 1864.

Captain BOWIE:

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the sanitary condition of the C. S. military prison at Andersonville, Ga.:

The prison is situated on two opposing banks of a stream, which furnishes an ample supply of good water for drinking and bathing purposes. The location is elevated and well drained. The soil is sandy,