General Hardee's indorsement has already been submitted, which virtually takes from General Gardner the command of the military prisons. Therefore the inspection made was through the courtesy of Colonel Harrison, who offered me every facility in gaining information, but, under instructions from General Hardee, could not recognize General Gardner's command of the prison. Colonel Harrison even offered my an opportunity of inspection the troops; but an inspection not sanctioned by the proper authority could do no good, and I declined.

The prison consists of a stockade made of heavy pieces of timber set upright in the ground from three to four feet deep, surrounded with a ditch about five feet deep and seven wide, with the dirt thrown up against the stockade, making a walk for the sentinels about three feet from the top of the palisades.

The stockade is 1,400 feet long and 725 feet wide, inclosing about twenty-three acres and a half, about six acres of which is swamp and cannot be used for camping prisoners.

A large branch runs through the stockade, the upper part of which is used for washing and drinking, and the lower part carries off the filth from the sinks.

The grand total, including the paroled and those in hospitals, is 11,424; 90 paroled and 599 in hospital. The majority of those paroled are confined within the limits of half a mile from stockade; others employed as blacksmiths, &c., in Florence, are allowed a much larger limit, the stockade being about two miles from the town. Others are used in the commissary department as laborers, &c. Prisoners appear to be emaciated and in bad health, perhaps the inevitable result of prison life.

They receive very little meat, but are subsisted on sorghum sirup and meal. On the day of inspection meat was being distributed-fresh beef-but I was informed by the authorities that meat rations were seldom issued. Prisoners do their own cooking and are very poorly provided with cooking utensils, compelling those without to trade off a portion of their rations for the use of pots, ovens, &c. Prisoners made great complaint of scarcity of wood. Wood is cut and brought by the prisoners an then distributed to the prison.

A large quantity of wood was ready for distribution on the day of inspection, hence I consider the complaint as only temporary. Prisoners have a shelter only such as they may have constructed for themselves. Small huts, built partly of wood and dirt, of every variety and form some over holes dug in the ground, with little dirt chimneys-some comfortable an others very uncomfortable-constitute the interior of the prison. The prison hospital, improperly so called, is situated inside of the stockade, and is simply separated from the rest of the prison, the only shelter being such rude huts as have already been described.

A rough frame-work was in a state of completion, capable of holding about 100 prancers, which will provide more effectually for the comfort of the sick. With very little additional expense the condition of these prisoners could be very much ameliorated. I would recommend that logs be hauled in the prison; the prisoners could then very easily construct houses for themselves.

They are very poorly provided with blankets, an will suffer a great deal from cold and exposure this winter. Our Government cannot fur-