SPECIAL ORDERS, HEADQUARTERS OF THE FORCES, NO. 242.
Richmond, August 5, 1861.

I. The Madison Infantry and Ouachita Blues, from Louisiana, are contituted a guard for the prisoners of war in this city, and the captains will report with their companies immediately to Brigadier-General Winder.

* * * * * *

By order of the Secretary of War:

GEO. DEAS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS OF THE FORCES,

Norfolk, August 8, 1861.

General S. COOPER, Adjutant and Inspector General.

SIR: I received yesterday your letter of the 6th instant in which you state:

It will become desirabel soon to send prisoners of war on parole from this city by the Norfolk route to Fort Monroe, and you are requested therefore to make arrangements for this purpose.

I beg that I may receive notice by mail or telegraph forty-eight hours in advance of any number of such prisoners being sent. The train reaches here before 12 m. adn if I have this notice will be prepared to transport them the same day to Fort Monroe.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

BENJ. HUGER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Richmond, August 8, 1861.

Brigadier-General WINDER.

SIR: A letter has been received at this Department from Dr. S. P. Moore, Acting Surgeon-General, C. S. Army, calling the attention of the Department to the crowded condition of the Confederate prisons in this city, and requesting that more room be at once provided for the prisoners and a more efficient police adopted for the buildings and the adjacent premises.

Your immediate attention is directed t this subject, and you are authorized to cause such arrangements to be adopted as may be necessary to meet the evils complained of by the Surgeon-General and to provide more ample room for the accommodation of prisoners in future. The sanitary condition of the prisons should also receive immediate and constant attention.

Letters have also been received from Governor Clark, of North Carolina, requesting that no more prisoners be sent to North Carolina without due notice in order that time may be given to prepare for their reception. You are directed to observe this request and to send no more prisoners until further orders to North Carolina without having given due notice to Governor Clark and obtained his consent.

Very respectfully,

L. P. WALKER,

Secretary of War.