and taken care of and issued at the expense of the Government when by the contract all should have been at the expense of the contractors.

Provisions of an inferior quality have been issued to the prisoners without the presence of the commissary or any responsible person to see that justice was done either in quality or quantity. Credit has been given to the contractors by the commissary for an unreasonable amount of wastage, which wastage was paid for by the Government when under the contract if there was any wastage it should have been the loss of the contractor.

It appears too from this report that until very recently the commissary has been habitually absent from the camp.

The case is one in my judgment of gross and willful neglect of duty and I don't see how he can escape the charge of willful dishonesty.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Thirty Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Detroit, Mich., August 10, 1862.

Major F. F. FLINT, Commanding Military Prison, Alton, Ill.

MAJOR: An exchange of prisoners of war is to take place immediately and I expect to-morrow to receive definite instructions on the subject. All who are willing to take the oath of allegiance are to be discharged, and for this purpose I have telegraphed to you to-day to prepare immediately duplicate rolls of all who wish to take advantage of this offer. It does not include the political prisoners. It may be some days before this exchange takes place, and in the meantime you may supply the prisoners with vegetables out of the prisoners' fund. I noticed that none were on your list of purchases for the last month.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Thirty Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICER COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS, Detroit, Mich., August 10, 1862.

Major JOSEPH DARR, Provost-Marshal, Wheeling, Va.

MAJOR: I have received your several letters of the 6th, 7th and 9th instant. After the exchange of prisoners which is now in progress is completed I will endeavor to visit Wheeling to consult with you as to the propriety of establishing a small military prison on the island. Camp Chase will probably be abandoned as a military prison and in that event it will be necessary to establish one near Wheeling where prisoners may be held [until] it is found proper to send them to the general depot. I will write to the Secretary of War and endeavor to have the bounds of your authority distinctly marked covering all posts from which prisoners are sent to Wheeling.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.