east side of Twelfth street, just above F street, said city, and in conesquence became acquainted with Mrs. Oceana Walker who occupied (and still occupies) the house immediately adjoining on the north. I ere long discovered that Mrs. Walker was in very reduced circumstances and had a considerable family of children on her hands without means of support. Both Mrs. Smith and myself were lad to take a deep interest in her case and ultimately went to Postmaster-General Campbell (under President Pierce's Administration) and made a strong appeal to him in favor of her son, William J., and thus got him appinted a messenger in the General Post-Office at a salary of $600 or $700 per year, which office he held for a considerable period but ultimately resigned it in favor of his brother who holds it to this day. * * * William on throwing up the situation came to this [place] and became the agent of some Southern railroad or roads in promoting their interest by securing to them partonage, and was doing very well when the pending atrocious rebellion broke out which of course destroyed his business. He then returned to the city of Washington out of employment and I interested myself in his behalf and tried to get him a situation under the Government, when to my great surprise I learned he had been arrested for the cause already indicated.

I consider him a yound gent of uspotted honor and rectitude, of very superior attainments and abilities, and I cannot believe he has committed crime or contemplated its perpetration, but if I thought there had been some indiscretion in his conduct I would as you to overlook it in consideration of the filial piety which he has displayed for his aged mother.

With sentiments of high respect, I have the honor to subscribe myself your fellow-citizen,

TRUMAN SMITH.

POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT, October 22, 1861.

Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

SIR: William J. Walker, now in confinement as a prisoner of state, was for several years a messenger in this Department, well known to me. I certainly have never had any reason to doubt Walker's loyalty but have supposed him a well-meaning, harmless man. He was ambitious to rise above his position as messenger and applied himself diligently to educate himself for higher duties. I think he became correspondent of one or two newspapers and they may have been Southern papers, but this must have been before the great rebellion burst forth and could not I suppose have compromised him. I was surpried to hear of Walker's arrest and confinement upon charges of disloyalty, but as I have no knowledge of the circumstances under which they were made I can only say that my knowledge of him through several years would lead me to doubt his being seriously implicated in any treasonalbe act or project.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

T. P. TROTT,

Chief Clerk.

[Indorsement.]

I concur in the statements of Mr. Trott.

A. N. ZEVELY,

Third Assistant Postmaster-General.

E. L. CHILDS,

Privated Clerk.