Today in History:

146 Series II Volume VII- Serial 120 - Prisoners of War

Page 146 PRISONERS OF WAR AND STATE, ETC.


HEADQUARTERS MILITARY STATION,
Alton, Ill., May 14, 1864.

Colonel WILLIAM HOFFMAN,

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

COLONEL: I respectfully acknowledge the receipt of your communication inclosing copies of instructions issued from time to time from your office to Colonel William Weer, Tenth Kansas Volunteers, late commanding this post, and requesting a report of the condition in which I found the records of the office. I have to report that I arrived here on the 26th of April, and on the 27th I assumed command and made an inspection of the prison, offices, quarters, and hospitals, and I have since that time more leisurely and thoroughly inspected all that pertains to the post. I find the prison in bad repair and police, the prison hospital roof leaking so badly as to make it almost uninhabitable, and the wall on the north side weak and tottering. On a representation of these facts to the commanding officer of the Department of the Missouri he instructed the chief quartermaster of the department to have the necessary repairs made, and the work has been promptly commenced. The quartermaster's and commissary departments of the post are conducted in a satisfactory manner. The records in the prison and at headquarters were in a most confused and defective state. At the prison one book, which has been used by successive commanding officers, purports to contain a list of all the prisoners who have been received at the prison, with their description and what became of them. It contains the names of many who are not here now, and yet does not record the final disposition made of them. Many who have been in prison are not recorded at all, and there are some still in the prison whose names do not correspond with the record, or are not recorded. I have directed new record books to be started, one for each class of prisoners, which will contain all that I found in prison when I took command, and all received by me since, and from the old record book I will do the best possible to give all information that may be required. Retained copies of rolls and returns are in many instances, and the records at headquarters are very deficient. Copies of correspondence have been most imperfectly kept, and many important letters and instructions are reported by Colonel Weer to have been stolen from his desk. I shall go on under the instructions contained in your circular of April 20, 1864, and the copies of instructions to Colonel Weer, furnished by your office, and get the entire business of the post systematically arranged and organized, and I hope in a short time to be able to report a more satisfactory state of affairs.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. T. COPELAND,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Washington, May 14, 1864.

Colonel HOFFMAN,

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

SIR: I am to-day informed that there are quite a number of barracks at Elmira, N. Y., which are not occupied, and are fit to hold rebel prisoners. Quite a large number of those lately captured could be accommodated at this place. I give you this information for you to make such use of it as you think proper.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


Page 146 PRISONERS OF WAR AND STATE, ETC.