July), but it will hereafter be made in accordance with your circular of regulations.

I have directed and the commissary is purchasing fresh vegetables for the prisoners three times in each week. They will be issued in place of the beans or rice or hominy, the issue of these articles being regulated as already described to you. The amount of fresh vegetables which is issued in lieu of any of these articles is that quantity which can be purchased with the sum of money credited by the assistant commissary, to the fund at the contract price of the article; the quantity of the article being the whole number of rations of it at any, or rather that particular time of issue, which are saved or not drawn. The allowance of each article of beans, hominy or rice being only that amount necessary for the absolute necessities of the prisoners, the list of the board of council being used as a standard as you have directed, I would suggest the propriety of your requiring the quartermaster here to pay for the articles on the list forwarded by me to you. The most of them were purchased from Messrs. Aiken & Emory's establishment.

I suggest this as the present quartermaster will probably soon be relieved from Camp Chase and these gentlemen might again have the payment of their bills delayed. As you will observe there is a sufficiently large fund to make the payment from it should you think this advisable.

In forwarding to you this morning the papers* in the case of Captain Walker I omitted to mention that the contract went into operation on the 15th day of June, and that consequently the amount of the wastage enumerated in the paper designated F in those sent is the amount for a half month only. The wastage charged to the Government in July was from such proportion enormous, and should in my opinion have all been the loss of the contractors instead of their being credited with it. I feel much interest in this matter and much desire an expression of your opinion upon my course throughout.

The Governor (Tod) about whom he wrote to you has proved a perfectly worthless, unreliable man; he has been drunk more than half the time and in consequence the papers have been much delayed. I have had him discharged from the office. I respectfully recommend the employment of a sober, reliable citizen clerk to whom should be paid a sufficient salary. At present the office duty is dependent upon the pleasure and leisure of three-months' soldier-clerks, toward whom I have wound it absolutely necessary to be exceedingly indulgent in order to get them to do promptly what they would under anything but such a system of military rule as prevails at Camp Chase be required to do and punished if they did not. They desire more than 40 cents per day, their present allowance. Shall it be given to them? If so how much may they be paid from the fund? I think that it will be found necessary to put all the labor upon a citizen clerk or to increase their allowance under the existing circumstances.

Captain Peyton, whose case was referred to you and about whom you wrote in your last letter, desires that his parole should not be recalled with those of the others having the limits of the city until at least his case referred by you to Washington is heard from. Shall it be recommended to Governor Tod? He is a very trustworthy prisoner.

With much respect, I am, colonel, your obedient servant,

H. M. LAZELLE,

Captain Eight Infantry, U. S. Army.

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*Not found; but see p. 677 et seq.

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