captures on the sea, the sea and gulf coasts and waters flowing to the same up to December 10, 1862, are duly exchanged.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., January 13, 1863.

Brigadier General M. R. PATRICK,

Provost-Marshal-General, Army of the Potomac, Falmouth, Va.

GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose herewith copies of the orders* under which exchange troops were sent from the camp near Annapolis to the Army of the Potomac. You will see that they were all sent by water to Aquia Creek and that proper rolls were sent with them. The colonel commanding the camp informs me that he sent all the descriptive rolls he had with the dates of payments to the commanders of the regiments. The orders should have required the commander of the detachment to conduct it to the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac as I directed, but the omission was certainly not a sufficient excuse for the negligent manner in which the duty was performed. If there was a commander at Aquia Creek he should have seen that they were properly forwarded from there. Colonel Sangster should have detailed properly forwarded from there. Colonel Sangster should have detailed officers of higher rank to command the 430 men under Lieutenant Barker. That no guard was furnished was not a neglect for there was no guard at the camp available; and if there had been as I have before said I would not have deemed it necessary to send a guard with soldiers who were not prisoners. They should have furnished their own guard, and with officers of any energy this would have been sufficient. The great neglect it would appear was in the commander of the detachments and if such is the case you will know what steps to take.

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

W. HOFFMAN,

Colonel Third Infantry, Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, D. C., January 13, 1863.

Brigadier General JAMES COOPER,

Commanding Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio.

GENERAL: I have the honor to give below a copy of a telegram this day addressed to you:

All troops captured and paroled in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida up to December are exchanged. Those at Camp Chase will be prepared for the field without delay; then they will be mustered and paid before marching. call in all absentees.

By order of the General-in-Chief.

A general order will be published in a few days announcing the exchanges recently made which will direct that all exchanged troops will be prepared for the field and forwarded to their several commands without delay. Where troops were mustered for pay on the 31st ultimo no other muster is necessary, but the payment will not be made till

---------------

* Not found; but see Patrick to Hoffman, with inclosure, pp. 160, 161.

---------------