Second. If not, has any other officer than the commanding general of an army in the field, under the authority of the Secretary of War, any such authority, except the immediate commanders of prisoners connected with the enforcement and maintenance of discipline under the orders of the Commissary-General of Prisoners and the sanction of the Secretary of War?

DANIEL RUGGLES,

Brigadier-General, Commissary-General of Prisoners of War.

HEADQUARTERS, March 28, 1865.

Honorable J. C. BREDKINRIDGE, Secretary of War:

Is there any prospect of the exchange of General Edward Johnson?

R. E. LEE.

[Indorsement.]

The enemy are now making deliveries according to date of capture, in compliance with what I have been urging for more than a year. If this rule is adhered to it will be a tolerably long time before General Ed. Johnson is delivered. I do not think it would be good policy to interfere with the rule if we can avoid it.

RO. OULD,
Agent of Exchange.

SALISBURY, N. C., March 28, 1865.

Colonel H. FORNO, Commanding Prisoners:

In obedience to your request I make you a statement of the manner in which the Federal prison at Columbia, S. C., was conducted. I was ordered to report for duty to Major E. Griswold by Brigadier-General Winder on the 24th day of January, 1865, and was assigned to duty as commandant of interior prison.

On examination I found that the roll was imperfect and that twenty-five prisoners were in the prison whose names were not on the book or roll, and was endeavoring to obtain a correct roll when the order was given to remove the prisoners to Charlotte, N. C. I left Columbia with 500 Federal officers on the 15th and arrived at Charlotte on the 16th of February. I encamped in a field aboutone mile and a half from town, and one account of the inefficiency of the guard fifteen of the officers made their escape that night, nine of whom were recaptured. On the 17th of February Major Griswold arrived with the remainder of the prisoners from Columbia. He (Major Girswold) sent for me about 8 p. m. He said he was sick and must go to town, and left Mr. J. D. Jones with the prisoners in the cars. I advised him to do so, as it was quite dark, and to remove them would be allowing them greater opportunities to escape, with so small and inefficient a guard. Early the next morning I went to the cars, and I missed quite a number of prisoners whom I had left in Columbia. On inquiry I learned that they had made their escape at Columbia the night before Major Griswold left by secreting themselves in the roof of the building. I sent to Charlotte to inform Major Griswold that it was necessary for him to be at camp, when I received a note from him stating that he was too unwell and that I must do my best. I then took the prisoners out and marched them to the camp. You arrived at camp about that time and ordered.