Confederate; (2) Joseph Winger for George Carter, Confederate; (3) George G. Rupley for Doctor Jackson, Confederate; (4) J. M. McCowan for John C. Spiggs, Confederate; (5) Sanford Schroeder for Henry A. Ball, Confederate; (6) Andrew Hartman for John Dowell, Confederate. Of the rebel prisoners I can find records of but three, viz, C. F. Ward, escaped from prison in this city November 17, 1862; J. C. Spiggs, released on oath November 25, 1862, and H. A. Ball, still held in the Old Capitol. George Carter, Doctor Jackson and John Dowell cannot be found on the rolls.

Under these circumstances what can be done for the men whose equivalents cannot be found?

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., December 4, 1862.

Lieutenant Colonel F. A. DICK,

Provost-Marshal-General, Saint Louis, Mo.

COLONEL: I desire to call your attention to certain matters connected with the Alton Prison which occasion much confusion and detriment to the service. It is reported to me that recently 273 prisoners arrived at the prison about 10 o'clock of a dark and bitter cold night. No rolls or papers of any kind were sent with these prisoners and as a consequence it was only with much labor, if not impossible, to make a correct report of them. Orders from the War Department and instructions from this office require that when prisoners are sent to any station full rolls shall accompany them, and I request that hereafter rolls may be sent with all prisoners ordered from Saint Louis to Alton, and I request also if it is practicable that transportation may be provided in such a way they may arrive before night.

By the orders from the War Department prisoners can only be released from the Alton Prison by its authority, but as you will perceive by my correspondence with your predecessor, Colonel Gratt, I directed the commanding officer to release on the order of the provost-marshal-general such prisoners as he might have sent up on charges which proved to be without foundation, but at the same time I requested him to reserve as far as practicable the Gratiot Street Prison for all cases under investigation.

Except in these cases all releases not ordered by the Secretary of War of the commander of the department are unauthorized, and the commander of the prison disobeyed his instructions in consenting to them.

It is reported to me that great inconvenience is experienced by the daily calls for the release of prisoners made from your office, and I must request that hereafter you will ask for the release of no prisoner except under the circumstances mentioned in the instructions which I have heretofore given.

I have sent you copies of my printed circulars and I beg to call your attention to my written instructions to Colonel Gratt.

The management of the prison is under my exclusive control, and only such regulations as I approve will be carried out there.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.