proper manner. Excuse my again pressing this subject. I do it in the discharge of a duty you have personally imposed upon me. Very respectfully, [Indorsement.] B. McVICKAR, Respectfully referred to Col. W. Hoffman, Third U. S. Infantry, commissary-general of prisoners, with the earnest request that authority may be given me at once to carry out the views expressed in the within letter from Surgeon McVickar. JOSEPH H. TUCKER, Colonel Sixty-ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteers. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Brigadier-General WADSWORTH, Washington, July 1, 1862. Military Governor District of Columbia. SIR: The Secretary of War directs that you grant no more paroles to prisoners confined in the Old Capitol under any circumstances permitting them to leave their place of confinement, and that you recall all those given by you in the last ten days. In the case of Anderson, now at the house of Doctor Miller, in this city, you will please place him again in confinement as soon as he is well enough to be moved. You will please give no permits whatever to visit the prisoners in the Old Capitol, and allow them to send or receive no letters without the previous inspection of Superintendent Wood. You will please relieve all the soldiers acting as nurses to the political prisoners and supply their places by detail from their own number to be made by the superintendent. I am, sir, &c., L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 1, 1862. Lieut. Col. MARTIN BURKE, U. S. Ariny, Commanding, &c., Fort Hamilton, N. Y. SIR: In reply to your inquiry of the 21st June I have respectfully to inform you that Mr. Soulé may be allowed the same privileges as other prisoners in regard to receiving the New York daily papers. I am, sir, &c., L. THOMAS, Adjutant-General. BALTIMORE, July 1, 1862. Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War: Mr. C. C. Fulton, confined at Fort McHenry, requests me to communicate the fact to the Secretary of War that the dispatch to New York was purely a private one and confidential and not intended for publication, and that he was astonished to find it in print. The original dispatch he says also contained a proviso which was not published that "the papers publishing his report should give the proper credit to the Baltimore American," which he says indicated its purely private character. He further says that the fact that he did not allude to his conference with the President in his own paper should be regarded as evidence of his view of the impropriety of such a fact being made public. If detained in custody he respectfully begs me to ask that his wife and daughters be permitted to visit him. JOHN E. WOOL, Major-General. CORINTH, July 1, 1862. Major-General THOMAS, Tuscumbia: General Buell says he never authorized any person to come to these headquarters and never heard of Lieutenant-Colonel Bennett. Send him a copy of the pretended pass and retain Colonel Bennett. H. W. HALLECK, Major-General. CORINTH, July 1, 1862. Brigadier-General SCHOFIELD, Saint Louis, Mo.: No prisoner of war will be paroled to return to Kentucky, Tennessee or States south of them without an order from these headquarters or from the War Department. H. W. HALLECK, General HALLECK, Corinth: 豢 HUNTSVILLE, July 1, 1862. I warmly recommend the release on parole of Lieut. William Richardson, Confederate Army, a prisoner of war at Camp Chase. He was wounded at Shiloh but was recently captured while still disabled. He is the nephew of Judge Lane, of this place, who was appointed U. S. judge by Mr. Lincoln and has remained from the first to the last a firm and avowed Union man. He interests himself warmly in the case of Richardson. Please answer. D. C. BUELL, HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF MISSOURI, Col. J. M. GLOVER, Commanding Rolla Division, Rolla, Mo. probably have been a spy or been returning for the purpose of raising a guerrilla force, but neither of these would justify his summary execution without trial. No crime whatever would justify his execution without trial after he had been taken prisoner and held for several days, as appears to have been the case. Please give this and other transactions of Major Tompkins such explanation as will enable me to determine whether further proceedings are necessary. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. M. SCHOFIELD, Brigadier-General. OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, General M. C. MEIGS, July 1, 1862. Quartermaster-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C. GENERAL: I have just returned from Chicago and have the honor to submit the following report: Camp Douglas is located on low, swampy ground without any possibility of drainage, and even at this time the prisoners and troops are suffering from the mud in the camp. The sinks which have been dug and dug again are overflowing and when the hot weather sets in there must be much sickness. The barracks are too much crowded for health and some changes must be made to bring about a good sanitary state of things. By erecting barracks outside of the camps for one regiment of the guard, leaving one regiment inside, there will [be] quarters enough and greater security for the prisoners will be gained. The two regiments are now in tents which will be worn out by the expiration of their service and it will therefore be cheaper to put them in barracks at once. The camp is in a very foul condition from want of drainage, and this can only be remedied by construction of a sewer sufficiently below the surface to guard against frost around the sides of the camp and leading into the lake. With this must be connected water pipes to furnish an abundant supply of water for the use of the camp and to float out the filth of all kinds through the sewer. The sinks should be connected with the sewers so that during the summer the camp and neighborhood would be relieved from the stench which now pollutes the air. The cost of erecting new barracks and repairing the old ones will be $5,000 to $8,000 and for introducing the system of pipes and drainage about as much more. If a suitable camp-ground could be found and there was yet time for the work it would perhaps be best to abandon Camp Douglas, but there seems now no alternative but to make the best of what we have. I have ordered a thorough system of police to be put in force at once, but your immediate attention is earnestly called to the matter of the above report. The hot weather of summer is just upon us and if something is not done speedily there must be much sickness in the camp and neighborhood if not a pestilence. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners HEADQUARTERS, Fort Warren, July 1, 1862. Lieut. Col. WILLIAM HOFFMAN, Eighth Infty., Commissary-General of Prisoners, Detroit, Mich. SIR: I herewith inclose a list* of all prisoners of war that have ever been confined at this post to the present date, with all information I have concerning them. Also a monthly return of prisoners. J. DIMICK, Colonel First Artillery, Commanding Post. OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, General L. THOMAS, Detroit, Mich., July 1, 1862. Adjutant-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C. GENERAL: Pursuant to your telegram of the 27th [26] which reached me via Chicago I proceeded to Camp Douglas to make inquiries in relation to the escape of prisoners of war and I have the honor to make the following report: Colonel Tucker, the commanding officer, has two detectives whom he represents to be very reliable men, employed in the camp under the pretense of being prisoners to find out if possible the aiders in the escape of prisoners from the camp, but thus far he has only been able to learn that it was probably a sutler who was discharged some time ago who sold clothing to prisoners. Nothing has been learned of any person named Smith. I have directed that these inquiries should be persevered in till the trace of the guilty ones can be discovered. There has been the greatest carelessness and willful neglect in the management of the affairs of the camp, and everything was left by Colonel Mulligan in a shameful state of confusion. It is reported to me that there is scarcely a record of any kind left at the camp and it will be difficult to ascertain what prisoners have been at the camp or what has become of them. Contrary to my instructions Colonel Mulligan's regiment was first relieved, thus devolving the command on Colonel Cameron who knew nothing of the affairs of the prisoners, who in turn in a few days turned the command over to Colonel Tucker without being able to give him any information in regard to his duties. The police of the camp had been much neglected and was in a most deplorable condition, and from this and other causes much labor and large expenditures will be necessary to make the camp inhabitable. I have required a detailed report on the condition of affairs at the camp and on its receipt will report further. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners. [First indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, July 19, 1862. The Adjutant-General will take such measures as may be needful to remedy the evils set forth in Colonel Hoffman's letter. By order of the Secretary of War: * Omitted. C. P. WOLCOTT, Assistant Secretary of War. [Second indorsement.j ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, July 24, 1862. The attention of Colonel Hoffman is called to the necessity of instituting immediately all proper measures to prevent the escape of prisoners. Respectfully, L. THOMAS, OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Hon. RICHARD YATES, Governor of Illinois. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. HOFFMAN, Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners. OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Col. BERNARD G. FARRAR, Provost-Marshal-General, Saint Louis, Mo. Detroit, July 1, 1862. SIR: Your favor of the 25th ultimo is received. I will be obliged to you if you will carry out your suggestion and consolidate for this office the returns and rolls of all the prisoners of war in your charge, including civilians, at the stations west of the Mississippi and Keokuk and Mound City Hospitals. Citizens and soldiers should not be entered on the same rolls, though when they are at the same hospital and the number is small they may be entered on the same sheet, each class being arranged alphabetically by itself. The roll of citizens will embrace only those confined on political charges or for offenses in connection with the rebellion. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners. OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, July 1, 1862. Capt. H. W. FREEDLEY, Third Infantry, U. S. Army: You will immediately proceed to Camp Butler, near Springfield, Ill., and make a minute inspection of the condition of the prisoners of war confined there reporting to me by letter in detail. You will inquire how far the instructions contained in the accompanying letter addressed to the commanding officer of the camp have been carried out, and you will hand to the commanding officer the letter of instructions herewith inclosed which I desire may be put in immediate execution. |