then be thoroughly cleansed by washing the floor every day, if necessary, and the ventilation from beneath with be perfected and drive all foul air from the building; and another benefit derived will be the preventing of the prisoners escaping by tunneling, which they are continually trying to do.

The kitchens are in good condition and are kept clean. The prisoners get their rations cooked in good order from the kitchens in messes of from ten to twenty men each. The grounds have been undergoing a thorough policing each day; ditches are being renewed and deepened, making the drainage as perfect as the locality of the camp will permit. The enlargement of the grounds is progressing as rapidly as possible and will soon be completed. The sinks that have just been adopted have not been in use long enough to determine their success, but in my opinion they will not be as efficient as the large sink which has been in use for the last two months by all the men in camp except those in the hospital, and the camp is now clearer of nuisance and stench than it has ever been, and the sanitary condition of the whole camp is being improved generally.

The bedding and general condition of the prisoners will require to make them comfortable for the coming winter as follows: 530 woolen blankets, 835 pair of trousers, 1,250 pair of shoes, 850 shirts, 350 coats. The majority of the prisoners confined in this camp are of the poorer class of the inhabitants of the Confederacy, and cannot obtain the means for supplying themselves with the necessary clothing and bedding to keep them from suffering. The rations that are being furnished daily to the prisoners in this camp by the commissary of subsistence at this post are in compliance with the circular issued by the Commissary-General of Prisoners June 1, 1864. The rations of soap, I have found, is not more than is required, owing to the water that has to be used for washing being of such a nature as to require a large quantity to enable them to keep themselves and their clothing clean.

The hospitals under charge of Surg. Charles J. Kipp, U. S. Army, are kept in as good condition as they can be, but unless more buildings are built for hospital purposes soon new tents will have to be drawn to replace the old ones that are now in use, for I find they will soon be unfit for that purpose as many of them will not turn the rain at present.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. W. DAVIDSON,

First Lieutenant, Veteran Reserve Corps, and Inspector.

CAMP DOUGLAS, Chicago, Ill., August 28, 1864.

Captain E. R. P. SHURLY, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

CAPTAIN: In compliance with Special Orders, Numbers 317, dated headquarters Post, Chicago, Ill., August 22, 1864, I have the honor to submit the following report: I have visited each barrack, hospital, and kitchen of the camp daily during the past week. The entire camp is thoroughly policed every day. The grounds of the rebel camp are always clean. Owing to the fact that there is so much building and repairing being done in the front square, it is impossible to keep it in perfect condition at present. The prisoners are universally neat as regards clothing, bedding, quarters, kitchens, and personal appearance. Of course there are exceptions, which is in part accounted for by reason of the inadequate supply of water. A 3-inch pipe is all that supplies the prisoners' camp, containing over 7,500 men. They really need half as much