told that he generally remained in Columbus, four miles distant. On the next to the last day of my stay, in consequence of some complaint made by me about the quality of the rations, a special inquiry was made for him, and, as I understand, a telegram found him in Cincinnati. The only person representing him was a citizen clerk, and even he was not present at the issues which I saw made. They seemed entirely under the control of the weighers, who were rough, uneducated men. The "tare" in all the issues which saw as guessed at and not in a solitary instance was a containing package, box or barrel separately weighed that I saw with the object of ascertain in its weight. The clerk before mentioned did not appear to be at all a responsible party in this absence of Captain Walker, and when I questioned him about the quality of the provisions seemed only anxious to convince me that they were quite equal to those called for.

When I arrived at Camp Chase the "necks" of the beef had been I was told habitually issued and, as the contractor himself said in my presence, the 'shank" to just below the knee of the beef. When I made by your orders my second visit to Columbus I arrived there on Tuesday, and it was not until the following Sunday that I was able to see Captain Walker, the assistant commissary; nor was he at the camp during this time, I am quite well convinced. In these intervals of his absence the entire business was managed, so far as I was able to learn, by the clerk before mentioned and the contractor, who seemed very often present. During all of this time the assistant commissary was absent without leave from the commanding officer. I inclose from the commanding officer a note relative to his habitual absence. It is marked A. It is not until your order requiring him to live to Camp Chase that he has done so.

Secondly, I assert that he is either willfully neglectful of the quality of the provisions furnished under the contract or grossly should be required. Upon my personal inspection of the stores in my judgment they were precisely as follows and I have had much experience in the commissary department: The salt pork was very often issued and some of that issued and received for the prisoners at the prisons was in my opinion unfit for use. The bread is heavy, dark and often considerably sour. The flour is all or nearly all third-rate and second-rate. I saw none first quality and I have often inspected the commissary store-houses. The bacon of an inferior quality; the sugar third-class brown sugar; the coffee a miserable Rio; the receiver inferior; the soap very much poorer than the yellow bar soap commonly issued; the molasses and potatoes exceedingly bad; the salt "rock salt; " the beef

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; candles quite good but to "first quality. " The beans have been reported to me as bad. I have not seen them, as until very recently I have been informed at the commissary department that none were on hand. As additional proof that the articles are inferior I refer you to the frequent complaints made by the troops and prisoners and to the inclosed minority report of the volunteer officer chosen as a referee in one of the cases of disagreement as to quality. You will, however, doubtless observe that the third referee, chosen by the two first, and whose decision is final, is citizen, and that the articles are declared to be"merchantable. " This paper is marked B. More than three weeks since I desired the commanding officer to write to the Commissary-General for a decision as to what was meant by "first quality," as the contractors insisted and constantly contended that their provisions fully came up to what was meant and insisted that they were quite as good as elsewhere furnished. The reply stated that a good quality of