arrested and carried off the following Union citizens, after having first taken and destroyed their property: William Dowthit, merchant, and his son; Doctor Rouse, druggist, who was also a commissioner of the Federal court; Albert White and perhaps others. At Barboursville, the county seat of the same county, they captured John W. Alford, a candidate for the legislature; Matthew Thompson, a merchant, whom they stripped of all his goods; old Mr. Kyle, a gunsmith, and Mr. Moory, a tanner. * * *

Respectfully submitted.

J. C. WHEELER,

Adjutant Ninth Virginia Volunteers, U. S. Army.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 14, 1861.

E. L. O. Esq., Portland, Me.

SIR: Your letter* of the 11th instant has been received. In reply I have to inform you that it will be your duty to require of all persons who may embark at Portland for foreign countries excepting the poorer classes of emigrants to provide themselves with passports signed or countersigned by the Secretary of State. If not so provided you will not allow them to embark, and may employ such of the police as may be necessary to carry out this regulation. In cases where there is good reason to believe that persons may embark at Portland for Halifax or Saint John for the purpose of thence proceeding to Europe or of the insurgents of this country you will require them also to provide themselves with passports. As the object of the regulation, however, is precautionary merely and intended to thwart the designs of enemies of this Government who may be proceeding abroad it is desirable that it should be carried into effect with as little annoyance as possible to honest persons - upon their own affairs.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

NEW YORK, November 14, 1861.

Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

Will you send to me by telegraph authorization to visit and act with Seth C. Hawley at or Warren?

W. H. LUDLOW,

New York Hotel.

FORT WARREN, Boston Harbor, November 14, 1861.

Lieutenant Colonel M. BURKE,

Commanding Forts Hamilton and Lafayette, N. Y.

MY DEAR COLONEL: * * * Would it not be well to send me all the orders you receive for holding the prisoners sent me? All I have is simply a list of prisoners without the scratch of a pen to show where or by whose order confined. Many questions have arisen in consequence of not having the original order of confinement; some claim to be prisoners of war and say they were so considered until their arrival at Fort Lafayette. Now they are necessarily considered as civil

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

* Not found.

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