All accumulation of every of every kind are removed from within or about the quarters, and but for your telegram from Washington the buildings would all be soon raised and platforms constructed in front of them. As it is the boards as free a circulation of air as possible under them. And generally all the means for improving the condition of the prisons directed by me to be put in force by the officer commanding the camp and stated in my first report to you have been put in successful and constant operation under my own supervision, with the exception of those parts or points already referred to you and not meeting with your approval, as the planking of the large amp drain, and in accordance with your instructions I shall continue them so far as no expediture is involved, in accordance with your telegram from Washington. I have required Captain Walker, the post commissary, to live at Camp Chase and to personally attend to all issues and duties of his position and to make out and submit to me for your inspection at the end of this month an abstract of the daily savings of rations for the prisoners' fund. Instructions have been received here from the Commissary-General's Office in washington (in reply to a letter which I directed to be addressed to him upon the quantity of rations to be furnished by the contractors) which require a great improvement in the quality of the ration over that at present furnished. I shall see that this is done and that the post commissary who has been going quite at large remains at the camp and does his duty. The commanding officer has informed me that he has been at the camp but three days for the past two weeks and has been absent without permission three-fourths of the time. I will forward to you in a day or two as soon as I can possibly collect the items a strong case against the capability of this gentleman, if not a more serious charge, which I respectfully request that you will forward to the Commissary-General at Washington if it appears to you worthy of that notice.

The quartermaster here informs me that he has not sufficient funds to payMr. Aiken at present unless he takes 6 per cent. U. S. bonds. This Mr. Aiken is unwilling to do. I shall direct the quartermaster tomake a special estimate to cover this debt if you approve of this course. All the necessary books required by me have been furnished by him for the prison records, and I am now having the entries made in them in the proper forms and in a uniform, regular manner which will hereafter be pursued so as tol conform as much as possible to the forms used in the office of the commissary-general of prisoners, and such as will in the simplest manner furnish all necessary data.

Some considerable number of communications to the State authorities, as the Governor, quartermaster-general and others, from prisoners have been up to the present time sent from the prisons sealed and without previous examination simply because addressed to these functionaries. They have been forwarded under the prisoner's seal. I have directed that all communications from prisoners of whatsoever nature and to whomsoever addressed go unselaed to the commanding officer first, in order that Articles I and X be strictly enforced of the regulations from your office, and that nothing improper in matter or manner be permitted to go from the prisons. I have done this to prevent the obviously mischievous effects of ex parte representation by prisoners to peopleoutside not officially concerned.

The prisons will at present accomodate 1,800; 2,000 could be crowned in. At present there are about 1,600 prisoners. I have the

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