are so much broken up the surplus rations may be commuted into a general fund to be disbursed under the direction of the commanding officer for the benefit of the troops, and the fund may be used for the purchase of any articles that will really conduce to the comfort of the men, whether for furniture, for fixtures about their quarters, for the extension of the accommodations of the camp-anything, indeed, that will conduce to the general good. The ration is much larger than can be consumed by the men and the amount of the reduction is left to your discretion. Whatever is saved will be paid for by the commissary, who will be the treasurer of the fund and who will disburse it on your order, which will be his voucher. At the end of the month he will furnish you with an account of moneys received and expanded with abstracts and vouchers which you will forward to this office with your comments. inclose herewith a scale* of rations which I suggest as being ample, as it has been found to be elsewhere, though you may find it necessary to make some changes. When organized companies leave the camp its proportion of the fund should be turned over to the commander and his receipt taken for it.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., November 10, 1862.

Colonel C. H. TOWN,

Commanding First Michigan Cavalry, Camp near Fort Scott.

COLONEL: Yours of yesterday is just received, but your orderly did not wait for a reply. All men delivered at Aiken's Landing on the 13th of September, 1862, are exchanged, though this date is not given in the order. No other evidence is furnished that exchanges have been made than what is contained in the general orders to which I referred you. Men who were delivered at the times there stated need have no doubts that their exchanges will be recognized by the rebel commanders. The men who have not been exchanged must be sent to the camp at Annapolis.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., November 11, 1862.

General M. C. MEIGS,

Quartermaster-General U. S. Army, Washington, D. C.

GENERAL: At the following-named stations quartermasters have made large disbursements for the care of prisoners of war which should be charted to the appropriation made for that purpose: Fort Warren, Fort Columbus, Fort Lafayette, Fort McHenry, Fort Delaware, Fortress Monroe, Depot at Sandusky, Ohio; Camp Chase, Columbus,

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*Omitted.

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