[Indorsement.]

Respectfully forwarded to commanding general of the department.

JAMES F. HALL,

Lieutenant - Colonel and Provost - Marshal - General.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
Washington, D. C., August 19, 1864.

Major - General FOSTER, Department of the South:

GENERAL: The testimony of our prisoners at Richmond abundantly proved that they received only a small portion of the stores sent to them. Most of these stores were used by the rebels themselves, whether by the authority or connivance of their own Government and officers in not known.

It is stated that in many here the stores were actually distributed to our prisoners and the distribution witnessed and certified to by our officers, the guards actually removed them, either being ordered to do or acting on their own responsibility. Nevertheless, the Secretary of War authorized the sending of necessary supplies to our prisoners where measures can be taken to insure their enjoyment of the supplies so sent. To turn over such supplies to the rebel authorities without security as to their delivery would only be adding so much to the support of the rebel army.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. HALLECK,

Major - General and Chief of Staff.

NEW ORLEANS, August 19, 1864.

Colonel C. C. DWIGHT, Agent for Exchange of Prisoners:

General Herron had no authority for concluding an agreement for exchange. Please to ascertain what persons are affected by it, and if the conditions involve a precedent that will conflict with the principle of the cartel or the instructions heretofore given you it will not be ratified; if you find no objections of this kind it may be ratified.

By order of Major General E. R. S. Canby:

C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Major and Assistant Adjutant - General.

CAMP SUMTER, Andersonville, Ga., August 19, 1864.

General S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General:

SIR: I have had the honor to receive the letter of R. M. Johnston, aide - de - camp, of July 2, 1864, to the Secretary of War, relating to prisoners paroled at this post, and written by direction of Governor Brown, of Georgia, inclosing letter from some unknown person. If were not for the satisfaction of the Secretary of War I should not think it worth while to say anything in answer to an anonymous communication.

This system of paroling prisoners for work began with the foundation of the prison, both on account of expediency and necessity, and, so far