himself within twenty days from the date of his release [unless] your brotheer, Mr. Hugh Watson, shall be unconditionally released by the insurgents.

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

F. W. SEWARD,

Assistant Secretary.

SENATE CHAMBER, Washington, February 3, 1862.

Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

SIR: I respectfully refer the inf have no recollection of eveer having met the writer.

With great respect, your obedient servant,

HENRY M. RICE.

[Inclosure.]

FORT WARREN, MASS., January 18, 1862.

Honorable H. M. RICE, Washington.

DEAR SIR: Presuming upon an introduction to you in December, 1860, by my friend Mr. Pearson, of Minnesota, and appreciating your character as a gentleman and a statesman I take the leberty of addressing you for the purpose of requesting your kind offices in my behalf, which cannot be I feel sure incounsistant with your duties as a Senator and a citizen but the contrary.

I will briefly state that I visited New York on the 13th of August last to see my daughter who had been under medical treatment there for over eight months and from whom I had not heard in three months. On the 17th of August I was arrested, and on the 18th conveyed to Fort Lafayette by order of Mr. Seward, Secretary of State, since which time (now over five months) I have been a prisoner. I know not the charges against me except the newspaper reports of the day that I was an officer in the rebel army and had been at the battle of Bull Run, &c. I will simply state that I have in no way or shape borne saw a battle, nor have I in any way taken pat in this unfortunate civil strife. Had I been as alleged I would probably have been ere now discharged on parole or exchanged as so many other prisoners (officers) have been.

It does seem strange that those who were taken in arms are more favored than one like myself who committed no act in violation of any law of the United States. Other prisoners from the Southern States were release long since on parole. Among those were Mr. Mure, of South Carolina, Mr. Chapin, of Mississippi, and others, none certainly more innocent than myself but probably their friends had more influence than mine or their counsel effected their enlargement. None were ever tried upon any charges but were released by order of Mr. Seward. Will you do me the favor to obtain for me that justic ewhich is due and aid me in obtaining an investigation and my enlargemennot be granted unconditionally (as it ought to be) I am willing to give my parole for forty-five or fifty days to visit the Confederate States to endeavor to obtain the release of some one Federal prisoner held there, and if unsuccessful I will return. That I have not the position Mr. Faulkner has or the status the released officers had who have been thus released should not work to my injury and deprive me of the same privileges. It certainly cannott be that I am retained a prisoner for so