will be soon made it will be necessary to defer any measures for increasing our prison accommodations for the present. Should these arrangements fail provision must of course be made to meet the necessities of the case.

Very respectfully, yours,

C. P. BUCKINGHAM,

Brigadier-General and Assistant Adjutant-General.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Columbus, July 18, 1862.

Colonel D. G. ROSE, Commanding Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Ind.

COLONEL: In speaking with you yesterday I neglected to mention that Captain Ekin is the quartermaster who will under your direction make the purchases with the prisoners' fund. He understands my views perfectly and I am sure will suggest no purchases except those which are right and proper. The commissary at the camp who is also quartermaster there is treasurer of the fund and will only have to pay the bills which are presented. He makes no purchases himself. The bills will be made in Captain Ekin's name and will be approved by you and these will be the vouchers for the treasurer. Without such vouchers he will be held accountable for any payments he may make. Let him understand this distinctly. If he has already made purchases without having such a voucher let him obtain one immediately. I want to impress on you that he is to make no expenditures himself. He is young in service and experience and must be trusted with no such responsibility.

On examining the account of the funds I found the disbursements under the authority of the council of administration certainly made for improper things and in many cases without any vouchers. The payment for postage stamps was it appears entirely unreasonable and the purchase of tobacco seemed to be unnecessarily large. Please observe the articles to the purchase of which it is to be confined under my regulations and adhere to them as closely as possible. Payments for the pursuit of escaped prisoners are of doubtful propriety and must only be resorted to [incomplete sentence]. A liberal quantity of vegetables should be supplied. Lieutenant Palmer presented his accounts in a very satisfactory condition, furnishing vouchers for all disbursements. The amount remaining on hand he is ready to turn over to his successor. I wish the monthly account of this fund with a list of all the articles purchased during the month sent to me on the 1st of August must keep the account up day by day so that at the end of the month there will be no delay in furnishing it. Examine the list of employees at the camp who are paid extra pay from this fund and see that no more are employed than are necessary and limit the highest extra pay to 40 cents a day. Let these accounts be made out in due form, specifying the time and the duty and make the payments regularly at the end of the month. These accounts, like all others, will be made in the name of Captain Ekin approved by you. I learn by the accounts presented that a citizen is employed as paymaster at $50 per month. I do not approve of this. The non-commissioned [officer] selected to receive and examine letters must be the paymaster for prisoners and as is provided in the regulations you will allow him extra pay for his services. Discharge the citizen immediately.