At Camp Douglas, and possibly at Camp Chase, the prison hospitals are more commodious than the post hospitals, and I suggest that they be occupied by our own sick as well as by the prisoners.

As the prisoners are all to be discharged, it will not be necessary to have a guard over them. Will you please give the necesssary orders to meet this arrangement? It is desirable to have it made as soon as practicable, as the prison guards may then be relieved.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Bvt. Brigadier General, U. S. Army, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., July 3, 1865.

Bvt. Brigadier General W. P. RICHARDSON,

Commanding Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio:

GENERAL: By direction of the Secretary of War you will transfer the prisoners of war who remain in hospital after all others are discharged tothe post hospital, where they will be placed in charge of the surgeon and you will be relived from the furhter care of them. Furnish the surgeon with a list of them, a copy of the Order 109, current series, under which they are to be released when they are sufficiently recovered tobe able to travel, and such blanks as he may have occasion to use. It there are prisoners in attendance on the sick, let them go with them to the hospital or release them on their taking the oath of allegiance, as may be most advisable. No guards will be required. If the prison hospital is found to be most conveninet for the sick, it may be occupied instead of the post hospital. You will receive instructions in relation to the sale of property belonging to the prison fund, and then the fund will be turned over to the U. S. Treasury.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Bvt. Brigadier General, U. S. Army, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

(Same to Bvt. Brigadier General B. J. Sweet, commanding, Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill.; Colonel A. J. Johnson, commanding, Rock Island Barracks, rock Island, Ill.; Colonel J. R. Lewis, commanding, Elmira, N. Y.)

ALTON, ILL., July 3, 1865.

Brevet Major-General RAWLINS, Chief of Staff:

GENERAL: I made an inspection of the military prison here to-day and have the honor to report the following for your information: There are no prisoners here now. All have been sent away, by order of General Dodge, to Saint Louis and Jefferson City; 231 Federal prisoners, 34 citizens, and 4 prisoners of war. The latter decline to take the oath. The guard, five companies under command of Colonel Kuhn, are still here guarding the public property. They expect to be relieved soon; in fact, a company of men have been ssent from Saint Louis for that purpose. I examined such of the books as have not been sent to Saint Louis. They show a plain record on their face, but of cource I could not verify them. The prison appears to have been kept in good police. The public property is being got in readiness for disposal. The treasurer of the prison fund has some $35,000 in his hands. The commissary of subsistence of the post is treasurer. All prisoners against