HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,
New Orleans, March 1, 1865.

Lieutenant Colonel C. T. CHRISTENSEN,

Assistant Adjutant-General:

I forward, for consideration of the major-general commanding, the inclosed report of Mr. E. D. Etchison, late consul at Matamoras. It is exceedingly indefinite. I desired him to send me a copy of the order expelling him; with this request he has not complied. The man is either naturally very stupid or is imbrued with liquor to such an extent that it is impossible to obtain a correct statement from him of anything.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

S. A. HURLBUT,

Major-General, Commanding.

[Inclosure.]

NEW ORLEANS, February 27, 1865.

Major General S. A. HURLBUT, U. S. Army,

Commanding Department of the Gulf:

GENERAL: I cheerfully comply with your request, made during our interview at your headquarters this morning, to give to you a written statement of the events which transpired during, and attended, the close of my residence as consul at Matamoras, as well as of the facts with reference to the sources and destination of the commerce carried on at said place. On the 16th of September, 1864, I was appointed U S. consul for the port of Matamoras, at which place I arrived on the 24th day of November last. On the 1st day of December last I assumed there the duties of consul, having received permission from General Mejia, general-in-chief of the Imperial army, to act and consul until my executer could be obtained. From this time I continued to act as consul until February 9, 1865, when the office of U. S. consul at Matamoras was closed. I sailed from there for this port on the 16th of February. About the 1st of January I learned that persons alleged to be deserters from the Confederate Army, and others said to be refugees from Texas, who had fled to escape conscription into the rebel ranks, in some instances had been and in others were about to be arrested by the Mexican military authorities, sent back into Texas, and delivered up to the officers of the Confederate Government; that four of these persons so delivered up had been put to death after their arrival in Texas. I investigated the facts and became satisfied that my information was correct.

According to the best intelligence I could obtain about 100 persons in all have been thus seized and delivered to the Confederate authorities. I myself saw thirteen persons sent across the Rio Grande into the Confederacy who were thus under arrest. From my personal knowledge I can state that one of these persons had never been in the Confederate Army, and I was credibly informed that several of the thirteen were similarly situated. On the 8th of January I sent to General Mejia a formal written protest against these proceedings. I received from him a reply which was in the highest degree unsatisfactory. Thereupon I sent, by a special messenger, a detailed account of the matter to the State Department at Washington. This extradition of this class of persons continued down to the time of my departure. On the 9th of February, upon learning of the Federal success in the capture of Fort Fisher, and in honor to that event, I caused the flag of the United States to be raised over the consular officer. After sunset of that day I received an order from the political prefect directing me