treatment, 1,021 prisoners. During the four days since the removal of the sick there have been forty-four deaths. The cause of this amount of sickness and death is a matter of deep interest. That the existence of a large body of filthy, stagnant water within the camp has much to do with it can admit of no doubt. Low diet, indifferent clothing, and change of clothing doubtless have some effect. Most of these causes may be removed, and that it be done seems the plainest duty of humanity.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

B. MUNGER,

Captain, Forty-fourth New York State Vols., Inspector of Prison Camp.

[First indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS DEPOT PRISONERS OF WAR, Elmira, N. Y., October 20, 1864.

Respectfully submitted to Colonel William Hoffman, Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington, D. C.

I desire to call the attention of the Commissary-General of Prisoners to the large number of sick in this camp. A little over a week since over 1,200 sick prisoners were sent South from this camp. This I supposed would so relieve our hospitals that our accommodations would be ample, but I find they are still insufficient. The mortality in this camp is so great as to justify, as it seems to me, the most rigid investigation as to its cause. If the rate of mortality for the last two months should continue for a year you can easily calculate the number of prisoners there would be left here for exchange. I have, therefore, the honor to request that a thorough investigation be made into all the probable causes of disease in this camp, including the sufficiency of the present diet and clothing to maintain the standard of health in this climate the effects of the pool of stagnant water in the center of the camp, and the competency and efficiency of the medical officers on duty here. It seems to me that such an investigation, conducted by competent men, would do much to discover the cause and remedy the evil.

B. F. TRACY,
Colonel 127th U. S. Colored Troops, Commanding Depot.

[Second indorsement.]

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Washington, D. C., October 26, 1864.

Respectfully submitted to the Secretary of War, with the recommendation that a medical inspector be ordered to investigate the causes of the unusual sickness among the prisoners of war at Elmira.

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry and Commissary-General of Prisoners.

HEADQUARTERS SIXTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Vicksburg, October 16, 1864.

Lieutenant Colonel N. G. WATTS,
Agent of Exchange, with Flag of Truce, near Shirley House:

Your letter of this date is just received, and in reply I have to inform you that I have no authority from my Government to negotiate for exchange of prisoners of war; on the contrary, I am prohibited.