The night was very dark. In my opinion, it was a combined movement of the prisoners to escape. I saw between twenty and thirty rebels running from the fence after the firing.

Private James E. Pierson, Company H, Forty-third Kentucky [Indiana] Infantry Volunteers, being duly sworn, on his oath says:

I was on duty at Camp Morton on the night of September 27, 1864, on post Numbers 42. Shortly after 8 o'clock I saw a number of rebels run from the barracks toward the end of my beat. They had ladders which they set against the fence and began to climb up the ladders for the purpose of escaping over the fence; there were about fifteen or twenty. They had our or five ladders. One of them when he was straddle the fence said that, by God, he was all right. I shot at him, when he exclaimed, "O Lord," and fell back inside the fence. By this time there were three others on the fence, who escaped before I could reload my gun. I made a thrust at one of them with my bayonet as he jumped from the fence. I cannot say whether I it him or not. As the prisoners left their barracks, I heard one of them exclaim, "Come on, boys. " I ordered them to halt, but hey paid no attention to it and came on a double-quick toward the fence. Several shots were fired by the adjacent sentinels; I should think about eight. The night was very dark.

There being no other witnesses present to examine, the commission adjourned.

C. H. FREDERICK,

Lieutenant-Colonel Fifth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps.

JAMES H. RICE,

Captain, Fifth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps.

FRED I. MASSEY,

First Lieutenant and Recorder.

HEADQUARTERS U. S. MILITARY PRISON,
Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Ind., October 3, 1864.

Colonel W. HOFFMAN,

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

COLONEL: I have the honor to transmit herewith report of Lieutenant J. W. Davidson, Veteran Reserve Corps, inspector of the camp, for the week ending October 1, 1864. I would respectfully state that the grounds of the prison since the enlargement will admit of the erection of prisoners' barracks, which are needed at the present time, and the capacity of the prison might be greatly increased in that way without the addition of any more troops to guard the prison. I would also recommend the raising and flooring of all barracks, suitable to prevent tunneling, there having (as estimated by one of the prisoners) been over one hundred attempts during the past year.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. A. STEVENS,

Colonel, Commanding.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS U. S. MILITARY PRISON,
Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Ind., October 2, 1864.

Colonel A. A. STEVENS,

Commanding Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Ind.:

COLONEL: I have the honor to report that I have inspected his camp during the week ending October 1, 1864, and find that the whole camp is being gradually improved by ditching and thorough policing. Barracks are very much needed by the prisoners now using tents, as the weather is getting very damp and could, and he majority of sick men admitted into the hospitals during the week were men from the divisions