ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, May 16, 1862.

Bvt. Major General JOHN E. WOOL,

Commanding, &c., Fort Monroe, Va.

GENERAL: The commanding officer at Fort warren has been ordered to tranfer to your custody Colonel R. F. Baldwin, Twenty-first Virginia Regiment [Thirty-first Militia], now a prisoner of war, to be exchanged for Colonel Corcoran. Upon his arrival at Fortress Monroe you will notify the rebel officer nearest to you that he is three to be exchanged for Colonel Corcoran, now a prisoner in Richmond, and upon the arrival of the latter at Fortress Monroe you are authorized to release Colonel Baldwin.

Very respectfully, &c.,

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, May 16, 1862.

Colonel J. DIMICK, Commanding Fort Warren, Boston Harbor.

SIR: You are authorized and directed to transfer Colonel R. F. Baldwin, Twenty-first Virginia Regiment [Thirty-first militia], now in your custody, to General Wool, at Fortress Monroe, to be held by him for exchange of Colonel Corcoran, now a prisoner at Richmond.

Very respectfully, &c.,

L. THOMAS,

Adjutant-General.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Detroit, May 16, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.

SIR: I have the honor to report that in pursuance of instructions from the Quartermaster-General and Adjutant-General I have visited Davenport, Iowa, Fort Snelling, Minn., and Fort Howard, Wis., with a view to ascertain their fitness to receive prisoners of war, and I respectfully submit the following as the result of my investigation.

There are buildings at Camp McClellan, near Davenport, to accommodate about 1,200 prisoners with a guard of four companies of eighty men each. The buildings require some repairs and a fence would have to be built around the quarters occupied by the prisoners, all of which could be done as shown by the estimate of Captain Hendershott, assistant quartermaster, at Davenport, for about $1,000. There would be room enough inside for quarters for 500 or 600 more prisoners which could be put up cheaply and no additional guard would be required. Prisoners could reach this point by water at low rates and provisions are perhaps as low there as anywhere. Fuel is comparatively high and water would be hauled from the river in wagons.

Fort Snelling if occupied exclussively by prisoners will accomodate 1,200 or 1,500. A guard of four companies will be required, and for these there are quarters outside the fort of a temporary character which at little expense can be made to answer the purpose. Some little expense will be occassioned in adding to the hospital and in erecting a