sinks are nearly all in good order, one pit not being filled up where a sink building had been removed. This, however, will be done to-morrow. Since the occupancy of the new mess-halls and kitchens there has been a decided improvement in the police of quarters. The mess-halls and kitchens recently constructed seem to answer the purpose. There might be a few improvements, the kitchens enlarged a little and the floors wood instead of earth. The sanitary condition of the prisoners is as follows: Whole number of prisoners, 2,642; number of prisoners in hospital, 45; deaths since last report, 1. I have to report the escape of one prisoner since last report, Lieutenant J. G. Odom, Twelfth North Carolina Battalion. There is no definite knowledge as to the manner, but it is presumed he personated once of the roll-callers and eluded the vigilance of the gate-keeper. There have been several attempts of this kind, but I believe this is the first successful one.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. A. SCOVILL,

Lieutenant Colonel 128th Ohio Vol. Infantry, Superintendent of Prison.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES,
Johnson's Island, October 1, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded to Colonel W. Hoffman, Commissary-General of Prisoners, and approved, except as to the case of escaped prisoner Odom.

The deception palmed off on the roll-caller and the consequent delay in reporting and the meager and defective report at last made come of the disregard by the superintendent and roll-caller of the printed instructions supplied to all of them. If these instructions had been followed the roll-caller would probably have been able to describe the prisoner and would certainly have known the first morning of his absence. Then he could have been pursued with some chance of success. As it was, nothing definite could be said and nothing effective done. The roll-callers are directly under the command of the superintendent of the prison and he is responsible for the disregard of instructions. This report was not received until too late for any mail but that of Monday evening, 19th ultimo, and before that mail could be prepared I was drawn off on the late lake raid, and with that and my present illness have been unable to keep up my office duties.

CHAS. W. HILL,

Colonel, Commanding.

CAMP DOUGLAS, Chicago, Ill., September 18, 1864.

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

CAPTAIN: In pursuance with Special Orders, Numbers 317, dated headquarters post, Chicago, Ill., August 22, 1864, I have the honor to submit the following report of daily inspections during the past week:

The camp is in good condition. It is thoroughly policed daily. The barracks of the Federal garrison are in fair condition. The water-works in the guard-house are out of order. The policing of the grounds in the prisoners' square is as thorough as could be desired; they are swept daily. The prisoners are obliged to carry all slops and dirty water to the sinks. The tables are scoured daily and the kitchens as often as necessary to keep them clean. The barracks in prisoners' square need repairing very much; the roofs of many of them are leaky; all of them need windows and most of them will need new floors before the cold weather. Barrack 41 has been assigned to convalescents, a