his giving his parole of honor that he will within ninety days from the date hereof return and surrender himself to you unless he shall within ninety days procure the release of Rev. David J. Lee from the condtions of a parole given by him at Winchester, Va., in the mouth of August last and forward the same to the Secretary of War; and that meanwhile he (the said McVeigh) will do no act hostile to the Government of the United States nor give any information calculated to aid the insurgents.

J. A. DIX,

E. PIERREPONT,

Commissioners.

CYNTHIANA, KY., March 18, 1862.

Judge SAMUEL BRECKINRDIGE.

RESPECTED SIR: Since the defeat of the rebel troops in Kentucky many of the men who took up arms against us are returning without having renounced their allegiance to the Confederate Government. We are fully persuaded that these men are coming here for the purpose of either recruiting for the rebel army or for the more dangerous purpose of organizing secret military companies to wage a guerrilla war in this part of Kentucky, or by violence and assassination to make the country so uncomfortable that the loyal men cannot stay here in peace. If General Halleck will authority the military here to arrest these men and hold them as prisoners of war until the war is over or authorize a company to be raised of loyal men here to keep these men insubjection we can do it. We will rasie the company and keep it up at our own expense. Something must be done and that immediately or the loyal men will have to surrender to violence and treason. Treason will have to be put down with a strong hand in Kentucky and treated as General Halleck has treated it in Missouri before we can have peace. In this part of the State disloyalty is in the ascendant, and in order to place it at a discount the rabble must see that the Government has the will and the force to deal with it promptly and successfully. They treat with ridicule the administration of the oath of allegiance.

Respectfully,

W. O. SMITH.

R. T. LINDSAY.

JAMES J. TEBBS.

W. W. TRIMBLE.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 19, 1862.

D. L. PHILLIPS, U. S. Marshal, Springfield, Ill.

SIR: By direction of the Secretary of War I have to acknowledge the receipt of your communication asking that the officers in charge of the prisoners taken at Fort Donelson be instructed to furnish the names of all citizens of Illinois found among them in order that they may be tried for treason. In reply you are informed that such matters belong to the civil authorities, and that no fees can be paid or sanctioned by this Department for services rendered by marshals or district attorneys in the prosecution of citizens for treason.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

P. H. WATSON,

Assistant Secretary of War.

18 R R-SERIES II, VOL II