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

Captain H. M. LAZELLE,

Eighth Infantry, U. S. Army, Columbus, Ohio.

CAPTAIN: Your letters of the 7th and 9th instant with the accompanying papers have been received.

The arrangements which you have made for the issue of rations and vegetables are very satisfactory and will I am sure lead to economy to the Government and advantage to the prisoners.

The articles contained in the list forwarded purchased for the prisoners may very well be paid for out of the prisoners' fund, and you will please have the payment made.

It was right to discharge the drunken clerk and I hope his account will be made to correspond with his services.

The clerks detailed from the command can be paid only to extra pay allowed by regulations - 40 cents per day - and if Colonel Allison is unwilling to take notice of their neglect of duty I shall be obliged to lay the case before the Secretary of War as a neglect of duty on his part.

By the exchange of prisoners all of them will be removed from Camp Chase or things there will be better arranged than they are now.

I approve of your course in inquiring into and reporting upon the manner in which Captain Walker, assistant commissary of subsistence, has performed his duties. Your report leaves no room to doubt that frauds have been practiced willfully or through neglect by both commissary and contractor, and I shall immediately lay the matter before the Secretary of War and call his particular attention to it.

Captain Peyton's parole may be continued for the present. My first letter for full rolls for this office was written on the 28th of April and the second on the 23rd of June. Something over three months have been occupied in this preparation and I wish you to impress it on Colonel Allison that the patience of the Secretary of War is quire exhausted and with good reason too. If it is possible to hurry the completion of the rolls I wish him to do it.

You must not think I attribute the delay to any want of attention on your part.

An immediate exchange of prisoners of war is to take place. All who wish to take the oath of allegiance will be permitted to do so and they will then be discharged. I will be in Columbus myself or will give you further instructions.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

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

JAMES R. HALLAM, Esq., Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio.

SIR: Your letter of the 7th instant is received. Your petition through Colonel Allison has been referred by me to the Secretary of War. Your letter to Governor Tod was also referred to me and I have laid [it] before the Secretary of War in a way if possible to secure speedy action upon it. With a view to hasten a decision in the three cases I have called for the charges against yourself, Colonel Jones and Mr.