DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 18, 1861.

Lieutenant General WINFIELD SCOTT, Washington.

GENERAL: I have received the letter of Assistant Adjutant-General Townsend of the 16th instant,* accompanied by one addressed to you by W. C. Dusenbury, of New York, in which that gentleman expresses a wish to visit certain prisoners in that quarter for charitable purposes. No objection is entertained to the sending of contributions of any kind toward the comfort of the prisoners, but visits to them by any persons for supposed philanthropic objects cannot be approved.

I am, general, your very obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 18, 1861

Major General JOHN E. WOOL, Fortress Monroe, Va.

GENERAL: I have had the honor to receive your letter+ of the 16th instant and its accompaniments. Proper measures will at once be adopted to dispose of the Swedish consults at both Norfolk and Baltimore. This Department has unquestionable information that foreign consuls in insurgent States and elsewhere are habitually made media of treasonable correspondence in violation of their privileges and even municipal law. Your continued vigilance to such matters would materially subserve the public interests.

I am, general, your very obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 18, 1861.

ROBERT MURRAY, Esq., U. S. Marshal, New York.

SIR: Your letter of the 16th* instant has been received. In reply, you are authorized to release the sailors (not privateers) referred to by you on their taking the oath of allegiance.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

F. W. SEWARD,

Assistant Secretary.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 18, 1861.

Brigadier General ANDREW PORTER, Washington, D. C.

GENERAL: I will thank you to transmit to this Department the oaths of allegiance (and stipulations made if any) required of persons heretofore discharge by order of the Secretary of State, and in all cases hereafter to send such papers to this Department when executed by prisoners released by his direction.

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

F. W. SEWARD,

Asy.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF PENNSYLVANIA,
Baltimore, Md., October 18, 1861.

SIR: I have the honor to inclose a list of prisoners brought to Fort McHenry within the last three days. All but Julius, of whom I know

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* Not found.

+ Omitted.

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