[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

William K. Blasdell, of [Buffalo, N. Y.], being duly sworn deposes and says that he is a farmer living on his farm near Springville in the county of Erie; that he is the father-in-law of Samuel J. Anderson now a prisoner in Fort Lafayette; that the family of said Anderson consists of his wife, the daughter of this deponent, an infant child between one and two years of age and a son by a former wife some thirteen or fourteen years of age; that the said family of Mr. Anderson has resided with this deponent for the past two or three years; that deponent has had frequent conversations with said Anderson on political subjects; that he is as deponent understands a native of the State of Georgia; that he owns as this deponent is informed and believed large tracts of land in eorgia and has many friends in the said State; that this deponent believes that he understands the political views of the said Anderson; that he supported Mr. Douglas in the last canvass because in the opinion of said Anderson he occupied middle ground between the extreme sentiments of the anti-slavery men of the North and the proslavery men of the South; that said Anderson went South this last spring to the State of Georgia to look after his interests, remaining South four or five weeks, and on his return spent several weeks with his family in the house of deponent; that he then returned to the city of New York where he has resided for several years past to arrange and settle up his business so he could come and spend the summer and winter on the farm of deponent with his family; that deponent knows it was his intention to come to Erie County and spend the balance of the summer and the coming winter with his family in the house of this deponent; that while deponent knows that the sympathies of said Anderson are those of a Southern man by birth and education he also knows that said Anderson has frequently said to this deponent he regarded the South as having been hasty and too precipitate in the appeal to arms, and that it would have been better to have sought to redress political evils by political remedies; that on his return from the South said Anderson told deponent he had seen both sides of the controversy and heard the prominent men of both sides talk and that he should side with neither party but remain neutral, or words to that effect and import; that from the many and various conversations this deponent has had with Mr. Anderson he is well persuaded that the firm purpose of said Anderson was to remain neutral in this controvery. And deponent firmly believes said Anderson has done nothing inconsistent with the said position; that he desired a preservation of the union of the States. And deponent further says that said Anderson is a slim man, of slender constitution and health, and from the letters of said Anderson to his family and from what deponent knows of his health the confinement of said Anderson will be and is as deponent verily believes prejudicial to his health and very injurious to his business interests and the real welfare of his family. And further deponent s K. BLASDELL.

Sworn before me this 4th day of October, 1861.

CUYLER GARRETT,

Commissioner of Deeds for Buffalo.