tion report of Department of the Missouri for months of February, March, and April, 1864, viz:

Alton prison inspection, March 31, 1864.

The morning report of the prison showed 902 prisoners of war and 128 citizen prisoners. The accommodations for this large number of prisoners are altogether inadequate, and sanitary considerations require that they should either be speedily enlarge or some of the prisoners removed. The entire amount of cubic feet to each person within the prison was only 290. The police of the prison was very bad. There was a large accumulation in the sink and no drainage, ant although lime was freely used they were very offensive. There were no bathing arrangements even in the hospital. The prisoners were obliged to cook, eat, sleep, and wash in the same room, which, with the want of proper ventilation, produced a very impure and deleterious atmosphere. The grounds within the prison walls were filthy and neglected. The rooms were not policed, and the appearance of the place throughout exhibited most clearly the want of an energetic and competent head.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ROBERT N. SCOTT,

Captain, Fourth U. S. Infantry, Aide-de-Camp.

POINT LOOKOUT, May 26, 1864.

Captain W. T. HARTZ:

Give no more passes to visit prisoners, except in cases of illness.

W. HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners.

ADJUTANT AND INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Richmond, Va., May 26, 1864.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: Agreeably to your wishes I examined to-day the respective relations of General Winder and Colonel Ould to the Yankee prisoners falling into our hands. I find the latter has no direct control over the prisoners, except for purposes of exchange or parole, and then only so far as receiving such numbers as are turned over to him upon requisitions, Colonel Ould indicating the number, grades, dates, and place of capture, and the condition (whether invalids or effective) of prisoners required. In addition to the duties consequent upon arranging these exchanges and paroles, he attends to all correspondence growing out of this subject with authorities charged with this duty upon the other side, answers all inquiries made through flags of truce respecting individual prisoners, and examines and forwards letters hence by flags of truce. General Winder controls directly all prisoners arriving here, at Danville, and at Andersonville, Ga., and now at Macon, Ga., but has no general control over the subject, and consequently cannot keep correct records except of those at points mentioned. Even with regard to the latter, although I found descriptive books full enough in all particulars to follow up the history of each prisoner, yet from the character of returns made these books do not afford information respecting each prisoner for the current month, changes occurring month, changes occurring only being reported by name at the end of each month. With the multiplicity of duties performed by General Winder it could not be expected that he could give that strict personal supervision to duties which of themselves are sufficient to occupy the best energies of a man of intelligence, energy,