mess-houses. State of kitchen - very good. Food, quality of- good. Food, quantity of - as per circular from Commissary-General of Prisoners. Water - good. Sinks, not good (1). Police of grounds - very of sick - very good. Hospital diet - very good. General health of prisoners - very good except of those lately arrived. Vigilance of guard - good.

Remarks and suggestions. - The recent cold weather has greatly retarded the progress of the improvements and at time the work has been altogether suspended. With favorable weather it would require but a short time to complete the same, and the work will be resumed as soon as possible.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. P. CARAHER,

Lieutenant-Colonel Fourth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Provost-Marshal of Prisoners, Inspecting Officer.

[Indorsement.]

After a personal inspection the within report is concurred in. Owing to the late captures of prisoners there can be no doubt but that all the prison room on hand will be needed. The 1,797 enlisted men recruited from the prisoners here still occupy a large portion of the prison, separated from the prisoners by a high board fence, and sixteen barracks are contained in this division and occupied by these men here cannot be fathomed. Their condition is deplorable, as they are poorly clad and clothing cannot be issued to them from the prisoners' stock, as they are no longer prisoners. Clothing cannot be issued to them from quartermaster's department, as they are not organized. They are under the same surveillance as the prisoners, as the parapet inclose this division on the outside. An appeal has already been addressed to the provost-marsha-general, under whose direction these recruits were mustered in, stating these facts and asking that they be removed to some camp of organization, such as Camp Butler or Camp Fry, in this State, but no response has been made, and we have been daily in hopes of receiving the order to send them away.

Respectfully referred to the Commissary-General of Prisoners.

A. J. JOHNSON,

Colonel, Veteran Reserve Corps, Commanding Post.

WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, December 19, 1864.

Colonel CHARLES W. HILL,

128th Ohio Volunteers, Johnson's Island, Sandusky, Ohio:

The President assigns you to the command of Johnson's Island, although you may be junior as colonel to Wisewell. Acknowledge receipt.

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.