FORT WARREN, BOSTON HARBOR,

March 27, 1862.

Honorable CHARLES B. CALVERT, Washington, D. C.

DEAR SIR: I was arrested more than six months ago by order of the United States Government I believe and have been h eld a prisoner in Government forts ever since. As you are the Representative of the Congressional district to which I belong I ask the favor of you to be informed of the cause of my arrest and detention and what charges if any there are against me, and to aid me in having my case brought before the proper tribunals to be disposed of to say that I don't believe there is a single imputation against me. Therefore this is the more oppressive.

Hoping that I may hear from you soon, I remain,

Your obedient servant,

CLARKE J. DURANT.

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSION

RELATING TO STATE PRISONERS,

Washington, March 29, 1862.

Colonel JUSTIN DIMICK, Fort Warren, Boston Harbor.

SIR: You may release Josiah H. Gordon, E. G. Kilbourn, J. L. Jones, T. J. Claggett, C. J. Durant, B. Mills, * * * upon their giving their written paroles to render no aid or comfort to the enemies in hostility to the Government of the United States. Please make report of your proceedings under the above order to Mr. E. D. Webster, secretary of the commission at Washington.

Very respectfully, yours,

J. A. DIX, Major-General,

EDWARDS PIERREPONT,

Commissioners.

FORT WARREN, April 2, 1862.

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

SIR: I am a citizen of Maryland, a State which still forms part of the United States within which the judicial power exists in full vigor and over which the Constitution and laws of the Union have never failed to be promptly and effectively executed by the civil authorities except so far as they have been interfered with and obstructed by the military power of the United States under the direction of the President. I was elected to the house of delegates of my State from Allegany County in 1859 for a term which expired in November last, and qualified as such in the usual manner. While on my way to the seat of government of the State in obedience to an order of the General Assembly for the purpose of attending to the duties assigned me as a member of one of its committees charged to inquire into the condition of the State library I was arrested by two officers in the military service of the United States on the 30th day of August last without warrant or other authority except that which they claimed to exercise as lieutenants in the Third Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, and