II. The difference between the ration as above established and the ration allowed by law to soldiers of the U. S. Army constitutes the 'savings" from which is formed the "prison fund. "

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third U. S. Infantry. and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

WASHINGTON, June 1, 1864-8. 50 p. m.

Colonel CHARLES W. HILL:

Be prepared to quarter 1,000 prisoners that will probably to sent to Johnson's Island. You will procure worn tents for the purpose, which will be pitched in the inclosure in front of the present barracks. In case tents cannot be procured temporary sheds can be put up. It will probably be necessary to put up a shed for messing. Please report what arrangements you can make.

WM. HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS POST OF CHICAGO,
Chicago, Ill., June 1, 1864.

Colonel WILLIAM HOFFMAN,

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

COLONEL: I have the honor respectfully to report that the grounds at Camp Douglas have been thoroughly policed and drained, nearly all the barracks in the prisoners' square, which were in long lines around the square, on the ground with floors ripped up, cut in lengths of ninety feet to each barrack, moved, ranged on streets fifty feet wide, four and five barracks on each street, with an alley twenty-five feet between the ends, streets graded, and barracks whitewashed inside and out, floors laid, and barracks raised and firmly placed on blocks four feet from the ground to prevent burrowing. All the barracks in the prisoners' square will have been moved and arranged according to this plan by the 8th of the present month. It leaves the grounds handsomely arranged, clean, and commodious, and clears somewhat more than half of the ground formerly occupied by the same barracks from incumbrance. There are now thirty-two barracks ninety feet long; one seventy feet long, lacking the kitchen-twenty feet. The capacity of each barrack is 165 men. The grounds of the prisoners' square will hold the present thirty-two barracks (twenty feet to be added to the seventy feet) and thirty-nine more of the same size and arranged on the same plan, which would give a capacity to hold 11,880 prisoners, or would accommodate, by placing a few more men in each barrack, in round numbers, 12,000 men, with an increase of not more than thirty to fifty men to the whole garrison of guard duty rendered necessary. Believing that you might desire to erect additional barracks here to save troops and expense elsewhere to the Government I have caused Major Skiner, commissary of prisoners, Mr. Roddin, quartermaster's agent, and Mr. Cook, master mechanic at Camp Douglas, to estimate the cost of thirty-nine additional barracks on the same plan, which would fill the grounds. They estimate as follows: Thirty-nine barracks ninety feet in length, twenty feet of each for kitchen, each with capacity for 165 men, $500 each; total, $19,500; one kitchen for the seventy feet barrack, $100; total, $19,600. For the reasons above