vocations in the field, but has not yet received a reply, and until he does their horses and surgical instruments will be held, they having set the example in depriving our surgeons when captured of such property.

By order of Major General U. S. Grant:

JNO A. RAWLINS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO,
Cincinnati, Ohio, December 6, 1862.

Colonel WILLIAM HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington, D. C.

COLONEL: Inclosed* is a letter from General John W. Finnell, adjutant-general of the State of Kentucky, in regard to exchange of prisoners, which letter is referred to you with request for advice at these headquarters upon the points in question, viz, can home guards or recruits, for incomplete regiments, in service when captured though not mustered in, be duly exchanged as and for prisoners of war, and must they report in person at Camp Lew. Wallace before being entitled to exchange?

There are a great many paroled prisoners, stragglers, about the country who have never reported as required at Camp Lew. Wallace, some of them belonging to detachments of prisoners which have so reported and been exchanged.

Have such men been included in the recent exchange? If so they will readily come in and join their regiments. While their dislike to going to Camp Wallace is so great that they will manage to keep out of the way and avoid the authorities if reporting there is presented as the only alternative.

Asking early consideration and reply, respectfully, by command of Major-General Wright, commanding department,

J. M. RICE,

Captain and Aide-de-Camp.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., December 6, 1862.

Major PETER ZINN,

Commanding Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio.

MAJOR: Your letter of the 1st instant is received and your action in the matter of the release from parole of W. H. H. Plummer by the military commander of Covington is approved. If the prisoner was to be discharged under the orders from the War Department it was your duty and not Colonel Sipes' to carry out the order and his interference was unauthorized. Orders, Numbers 193, of November 22, from the War Department, require that two classes of prisoners shall be released and it is for you as the commander of the prison at Camp Chase to execute the order. The first paragraph refers to those who have discouraged enlistments or interfered with the draft in any State where the drafting has been completed (see paragraph I). If there are cases of this kind at Camp Chase you must ascertain from the Governor of the State where the offense was committed whether the draft has been completed before the prisoner can be released. The

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* Not found.

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3 R R-SERIES II, VOL. V.