have blankets; state of quarters, clean; state of mess-houses, fair; state of kitchen, clean; food, quality of, good; food, quantity of, full prisoners' rations, except potatoes; water, prisoners carry it from the bay, good quality; sinks, good, except on the northwest side, new pits are being blasted out of the rock; police of grounds, fair; drainage, good; police of hospital, very good; attendance of sick, very good; hospital diet, varied and abundant; general health of prisoners, good; deaths since last report, one; vigilance of guard, good.

Remarks and suggestions. - I have the honor to recommend that books (other than military) be added to the list of articles that prisoners are allowed to receive from relatives or purchase from the sutler.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. A. SCOVILL,

Lieutenant Colonel 128th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Inspecting Officer.

[Indorsement.]

Under the impression that paragraph 5, General Orders, Numbers 226, July 8, 1864, Adjutant-General's Office, prohibited the further issue of potatoes to prisoners, the commissary of subsistence at this post declines such issue. I think he is in error, as that order seems to relate to subsistence for troops exclusively, but await instructions. I think books to be allowed should be merely literary, religious, historical, biographical, or scientific; that geographies or maps should not be included. With this qualification the foregoing report is approved. The prisoners have always had a free un of newspapers and the disloyal ones are, of course, generally preferred. I recommend a restriction in that regard.

Respectfully referred to the Commissary-General of Prisoners.

CHAS. W. HILL,

Colonel 128th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Commanding Post.

U. S. MILITARY PRISON,

Camp Morton, Indianapolis, November 27, 1864.

Colonel A. A. STEVENS, Commanding Camp Morton:

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following inspection report of the condition of the prisoners of war at this station for the week ending November 26, 1864.

Conduct, very quiet, no attempts to escape; cleanliness, good state; clothing, good, except shirts; bedding, good; state of quarters, bunks kept clean, but the floors being ground it is impossible to keep them clean in wet weather; state of mess-houses, have none; state of kitchen, good condition; food, quality of, first class; food, quantity of, sufficient, being in accordance to orders; water, sufficient; sinks, being portable, cannot be kept thoroughly cleansed in cool, freezing weather; police of ground, through when dry enough to police; drainage, complete; police of hospital, good; attendance of sick, good; hospital diet, first class; general health of prisoners good; vigilance of guard, ordinary owing to one-half of the guard being new recruits.

Remarks and suggestions. - I would respectfully suggest that for the cleanliness of the barracks and the health of the prisoners therein confined they be raised at least two feet the ground an good substantial plank floors be put in them, as it is impossible to keep a ground floor in a perfect state of cleanliness during the cold, wet weather of the fall and winter season, for the prisoners are constantly running in and out, and always carry in more or less mud with them, which keeps the ground floor constantly damp and muddy, whereas if they had good plank floors they could be washed and kept clean every day, and by