island. The cooking of the rations were, even until shortly, prepared in the open air, as not a board of lumber, not even for coffins, could for a time be procured at this place. The prisoners must bring their firewood, stick for stick, on their shoulders about three miles and a half, and on pleasant days it is rather beneficial for them, but it is sometimes difficult to get 10 per cent. of them able to perform this necessary labor. Some provision ought to be made to supply the prison camp with fuel. For my own command, I have a detail of soldiers chopping fire-wood on Cat Island, fifteen miles from here, and by the occasional use of a light-draft steamer I am enabled to keep enough wood on hand for immediate use. One of my officers, Lieutenant John Ahlefeldt, Company K, Seventy-fourth U. S. Colored Troops, was detached from the regiment by Special Orders, Numbers 149, current series, headquarters Military Division of West Mississippi, as assistant commissary of prisoners without consulting me, and, although this officer is otherwise good and faithful, he has proven unfit for the position he has been ordered to hold, and in consequence discipline and policing suffered. I would recommend that he be ordered for duty in his company, to enable me to appoint a suitable officer as assistant commissary of prisoners. The sick of the prisoners of war are as well cared for as my own, and at present time they have no reason to complain.

Inclose I have the honor to forward a report made to me by my post surgeon, Dr. John H. Gihou.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ERNEST W. HOLMSTEDT,

Colonel, Commanding Post.

[Inclosure.]

POST HOSPITAL, Ship Island, Miss., December 22, 1864.

Colonel E. W. HOLMSTEDT,

Seventy-fourth U. S. Colored Infantry, Commanding Post:

SIR: In reply to your reference to me of a letter from the office of the Commissary-General of Prisoners at Washington City, D. C., dated November 21, 1864, I have the honor that Surg. T. M. Getty arrived at this post on his tour of inspection a very short time after the arrival here of a large number of prisoners of war, who came unannounced, and for whose reception and proper care no previous provision had been made. We were without houses, tents, blankets, bedding, or any of the necessary means for furnishing a hospital. The men themselves were in a most filthy condition - all regard to cleanliness, either of clothing or person, having been for a long time entirely neglected. Out of nearly 1,500 there were not 300 who did not report themselves to the surgeon in charge here as being afflicted with disease. The prevailing complaints were measles, scurvy, smallpox, diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid and intermittent fevers, rheumatism, and almost every variety of contagious, cutaneous disease that results from the neglect of personal cleanliness. Many of these men were the refuse of rebel hospitals, taken from sick beds to garrison forts. Others were lads from eleven to fifteen years of age, and old men of from fifty to seventy-five, who represented themselves, almost without exception, as having been forced into the rebel service. Many of them were so feeble and emancipated that it was necessary to carry them from the boats to the encampment, and it did not require the judgment of a medical officer to foresee a large amount of mortality. As soon after their arrival as possible active exertions were made in their behalf, and through the aid of the heads