repairs, and improvements as you may require at the prisoners' hospital, for my approval and the action of the general commanding the department, and with special reference to the water-closets, dispensary offices, and the additional store-rooms. I will urge everything essential to a good and proper administration of your department. * * *

From the date of that letter to that of the accompanying report no complaints have been made by Surgeon Sanger, nor were any requisitions ever received from him as above instructed, except the usual requisition for medical supplies. He did not avail himself of the means suggested to discontinue his apparently futile attempts with the local authorities and to appeal through me to the commanding general, which, as in other cases, would have been successful.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. McDOUGALL,

Surg., U. S. Army, and Medical Director of the Dept. of the East.

[Indorsement.]

SURGEON-GENERAL'S OFFICE, November 10, 1864.

Respectfully returned to Medical Director McDougall, New York City, who will cause a special inspection and report to be made to him of the condition of affairs at the prison camp at Elmira, N. Y., and to take such measures as may be necessary to correct the evils complained of and add to the comfort and the well-being of the sick in hospital at that place. the medical director will ask for the interposition of the authority of the commanding general Department of the East to carry out these instructions, if, in his opinion, necessary to secure prompt action.

By order of the Surgeon-General:

C. H. CRANE,

Surgeon, U. S. Army.

[Inclosure.]

PRISONERS' HOSPITAL, SURGEON'S OFFICE,

Elmira, N. Y., November 1, 1864.

Brigadier General J. K, BARNES, Surgeon-General U. S. Army:

I have the honor to forward the monthly report of sick and wounded at prisoners' hospital, Elmira, N. Y., for the month of October. The ratio of disease and deaths has ben fearfully and unprecedentedly large and requires an explanation from me to free the medical department from censure. Since August, the date of my assignment to this station, there have been 2,011 patients admitted to the hospital, 775 deaths out of a mean strength of 8,347 prisoners of war, or 24 per cent. admitted and 9 per cent. died. Have averaged daily 451 in hospital and 601 in quarters, an aggregate of 1,052 per day, sick. At this rate the entire command will be admitted to hospital in less than a year and 36 per cent. die. the prison pen is one-quarter of a mile square, containing forty acres, located in the valley of the Chemung River. The soil is a gravel deposit sloping at two-thirds of its distance from the front toward the river to a stagnant pond of water 12 by 580 yards, between which and the river is a low sandy bottom subject to overflow when the river is high. This pond received the contents of the sinks and garbage of the camp until it became so offensive that vaults were dug on the banks of the pond for sinks and the whole left a festering mass of corruption, impregnating the entire atmosphere of the camp with its pestilential odors, night and day.

On my arrival the subject of drainage, sinks, enlargement of the hospitals, providing a kitchen, mess-hall, laundry, dead-house, offices,