ALTON MILITARY PRISON, December 19, 1862.

Major General U. S. GRANT,

Commanding Department of the Tennessee.

SIR: In answer to yours of the 15th instant I have to inform you that in transferring a lot of prisoners from this prison to Johnson's Island on the 15th of last month Colonel Faulkner made his escape and has not been heard from since. Captain Meriwether has been sent to Cairo for exchange.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. HILDEBRAND,

Colonel, Commanding Post, Alton, Ill.

ALTON MILITARY PRISON, December 19, 1862.

Lieutenant Colonel F. A. DICK,

Provost-Marshal-General, Department of the Missouri.

COLONEL: Am I to understand from the last clause of your letter that I am to find out the names of those who are willing to accept your terms of release and report their names to you, or am I to release them and report their release to you?

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

J. HILDEBRAND,

Colonel, Commanding Post.

P. S. - There will be from 100 to 200 who are willing to accept your terms of release.

I. B. KINKEAD,

Prison Adjutant.

SAINT LOUIS, December 19, 1862.

To the PRESIDENT:

I submit most respectfully to the consideration of Your Excellency the following remarks: I was informed to-day by Major-General Curtis that the President had telegraphed him to inquire if it would be advisable to suspend martial law in Missouri. Officially I have most complete and reliable information as to the condition of this State. I have been in Missouri nearly all the time during the rebellion and I say positively that at no previous time have the efforts and evil purposes of the rebels in this State and city been more active and hopeful than now. All through the portions of the State occupied by our troops traitors are indefatigable in their efforts to aid their Southern friends. The successful military efforts of such brave men as General Merrill, who has captured thousands of these traitors, have made them somewhat cautious for a time but their hopes never die and their purposes and efforts remain the same. Appeals and representations to the contrary may be made by Major Rollins and Judge Hall and other gentlemen who live in the worst part of the State but those gentlemen are not regarded in Missouri as fair representatives of the Union men who uphold the Government. It is not unfair to say that those gentlemen were elected by the votes of disloyal men. I make these statements not from a desire to injure them, for I esteem them both as gentlemen, but that their dependence upon disloyal men may be known. I have daily evidence that in the interior and in Saint Louis secretly information and material aid is being furnished by many of our most respectable citizens to the enemy. The most bitter hostility exists between them