COLUMBUS, OHIO, August 1, 1862.

Honorable Secretary STANTON.

DEAR SIR: Please allow me to make a statement to you of my capture as a prisoner and the conditions upon which I was released for the time being. On the 25th of June last I obtained leave of absence of General Grant for twenty days to go home and visit my family. My regiment was quartered twenty-eight miles from Memphis on the Charleston and Memphis Railroad. I went on the train as a passenger, the first train that started from Memphis to Corinth. When about sixteen miles from Memphis the rails had bed removed from the track, throwing the locomotive down the bank, no person being hurt seriously. In about half an hour after the accident, or perhaps not so long, we were attacked by Colonel Jackson with 600 cavalry, surrounded and taken prisoners, about fort in all. At the time of the attack we had but six muskets, which were fired twelve at them.

I was taken about forty miles south near a town called Holly Springs. While there Colonel Jackson told me he had a relative, Colonel Alexander J. Brown, of a Tennessee regiment, that was taken prisoner by our army at Island Numbers 10, that he thought was at Johnson's Island or Boston, and it I would procure the exchange for Colonel Brown he would let me go and send me back. I was to have this done of possible in sixty days from the 13th of June. On my return to Memphis I reported the facts to Major-General Grant. He immediately wrote to the proper authorities on the subject of exchange. I have written him twice on the subject, but owing to attacks or firing into boats on the river I presume he has not received my letters. O thought the most prudent and most expeditious was to write from here, as there seems to be a general order to report at Columbus all that are not on duty.

I was at the surrender of Donelson and also at the battle of Pittsburg Landing. My regiment is now at Helena, Ark., Third Brigade and Third Division, General Wallace commanding. I have never been frommy regiment for one day since we left Ohio until I was taken prisoner. I am very anxious to be with them before they proceed to Little Rock, Ark. I hope you will give me the necessary order for the exchange, for under my promise I will be compelled to surrender myself and be shut up in some Southern prison, there to lie and rot. I have been in the service about eighty months. I have written to E. Jordan, esq., Solicitor of the Treasury, who is from out town and is acquainted with me. He will call on you. I will remain here until I hear from you.

Very respectfully,

P. KINNEY,

Colonel, Commanding Fifty-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Detroit, Mich., August 1, 1862.

Honorable E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War, Washington, D. C.

SIR: I have the honor to inclose here with a report* of Colonel Tucker, commanding Camp Douglas, in relation to the escape of prisoners from that camp.

The alternations in the fence which I ordered while waiting for authority from washington will go far toward preventing such frequent

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* Omitted here, see Tucker to Hoffman, July 24, p. 278.

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