tioned by my brother-in-law, Captain A. H. Schultz. I am sadly in need of a friend in my extermity, and stranger as I am to you thus boldly force myself on your notice and ask your assistnace.

Over nine weeks ago I was arrested under very suspicious circumstances at Crestline. I was supposed to be a bearer of dispatches to the Confederate Government. My baggage was taken possession of by the superintendent of police in New York and after a thorought overhauling nothing was found to criminate me, but it was said that I had ample time to dispose of my dispatches before my arrest.

Permit me to state to you "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth". On the 6th of July I left my home in New Orleans to make a flying trip to Europe partly for the benefit of my health and partly to have a personal ineterview with my business correspondents in Liverpool and Glasgow. My whole stay in England and France was but eight days, and here let me assert that I neither carried over nor brought back any writing or any verbal message to or from any person directly or indirectly connected with the Confederate Government except a private letter from the Honorable P. A. Rost to Pierre Soule which Judge Rost, who is an old friend of mine, told me contained some instructions in relation to a legal suit Mr. Soule had in charge for him. Further than this I never belonged to a military company, I never held a public office and I cannot recollect that I have attended a political meetting in twenty-five years. Still I would not convey to you the idea that I am not decided in my political opinions. If that is a crime worthy of punishement by imprisonment there is not sufficient prison room in the States to hold those equally culpable as myself.

Please bear in mind that when I came North there was no restriction on Southern travelers but it was held out that quiet persons no interfering with public matters could go and come at their leisure. And even when passport system was adopted it was not to be operative on citizens (private citizens) of seceded States returning from Europe until they had time to hear of the new regulation. Had I been conscious of being in the act of committing any offense against the Federal Government I would not have unhestitingly paid the friendly visit I did to my relatives at Fishkill Landing knowing how widenly we differed in our political views. Had that visit not have been made I would not probably have been arrested.

As I said before it is now over nine weeks that I have been incarcerated here, shut out from intercourse with all those who make life dear to me. Driven to desperation by the seeming negelct of those who I thought would unasked by me edeavor to effect my release I recently attempted to escape and was caught in the act. The pentaly-double irons and a four by six foot cell in the guard house during the pleasure of the commandant of the fort-I was perfectly aware of before making the attempt. It was faithfully but not hrashly imposed and of that I have not one word of complaint to make. But I conceive there was nothing particularly atrocious in my endeavor to free myslef surreptitiously. At least twenty officers and men confined as prisoners of war at Richmond have evaded the vigilance of their keepers and on their arrival at Washington have been patted on the back as good and enterprising fellows. It may be said that I can be release if I establish all the foregoing facts on taking the oath of allegiance, but the question arises is it right to require me to take that oath when it is well known it will work the immediate confiscation of my property for the benifit of the Confederate Government and that you are not now in a position to protect that property for me? In regard to giving my