U. S. MARSHAL'S OFFICE, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, New York, December 27, 1861.

Lieutenant Colonel MARTIN BURKE,

Commandant Forts Hamilton and Lafayette.

DEAR COLONEL: Having to send in a return to the State Department of the political arrests and discharges made by me since entering upon the duties of this office I should feel greatly obliged if you would send me a faithful copy from your register of all peresons received from or released by me who have passed through your custody since the 22nd of April last, as I may have this list at your earliest convenience, and with many apologies for thus troubling, I am, dear colonel, I am, dear colonel, very faithfully, yours,

ROBT. MURRAY,

U. S. Marshal.

PHILADELPHIA, December 28, 18861.

His Excellency the PRESIDENT.

SIR: Permit me to invite your attention to the inclosed note from Captain John J. Garvin, formerly of this port, but now a prisoner at Salisbury, N. C. If anything can be done for him and his companions I trust it will not be neglected. I have another letter of similar import from a constituent, James Shockley, who was an engineer on board the Union.

Commending their care to your consideration, I remain, very truly, yours,

WM. D. KELLEY,

[Representative in Congress.]

[Inclosure.]

RALEIGH, N. C., December 6, 1861.

Hon. W. D. KELLEY, Washington, D. C.

DEAR SIR: There are now here some seventy-six prisoners, including myself; most all belonging to Philadelphia who were with me in the U. S. transport steamer Union and wrecked on this coast on the morning of the 3rd of November.

We are as a matter of course desiour to get home again, and we beg you will use your influence to get ur released by an exchange for the same number of Hatteras prisoneres, or if that cannot be done to use your influence toward a regular exchange if consistent with Government policy.

We were compelled to leave the wreck soon after she struck to save our lives, as she commenced breaking up immediately, and saved nothing but the clothes we had on the time, and will soon be destitute. We suffer considerable these cold nights for the want of covering, and have not been supplied here. Unless something is done by our Government we shall have a large number of sick if not some deaths before the winter is over unless soon released. The destitute condition of the men exposes them to sickness now around them.

There are also some forty others including officers belonging to different regiments here who are likewise desirous of getting released as early as possible and fully as destitute, some having been here several months.

We feel it peculiarly hard after barely escaping with our lives from that severe gale of November 2 and then the shipwreck on the morning of the