PHILADELPHIA, September 11, 1861

L. C. BAKER, 466 Thirteenth Street:

I have just mailed your letter to-night. I have had W. H. Winder held for treason with abundance of evidence. Arrested hima t armory of Home Guard, of which he was a member.

FRANKLIN,

Detective.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, September 13, 1861.

GEORGE A. COFFERY, Philadelphia:

Send William H. Winder to Fort Lafayette. Seal up his papers and see that they are properly taken care of to be held as evidence for his conviction.

SIMON CAMERON,

Secretary of War.

Numbers 53 LIBERTY STREET, NEW YORK, [September 25, 1861].

Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

MY DEAR SIR: I inclose you a note which I received this morning from William H. Winder, esq., a prisoner at Fort Lafayette. The answer which I made to it Colonel Burke, to whom I sent it, will forward to your Department. I should not institute or attempt any legal proceedings on behalf of any gentleman who might ask my assistance. My action in case I undertook to relieve any of them would extend no further than to the preparation of proofs to be submitted to the Department in such as I should consider clear instances of misapprehension, in which if any exist I think, knowing your sense of justice, the restoration to liberty of a party mistakenly committed and confined would be a relief to you only second to that which the prisoner himself would experience on being again free and unsuspected.

Yours, truly,

JOHN E. DEVELIN.

P. S. -May I ask the return of the inclosed? It may be that my answer will go to Secretary Cameron. If so and not received by your may I ask you to cause this and the inclosed to be sent over to him with an indorsement by you of my loyalty? I believe Mr. Winder was arrested by order of Secretary Cameron.

[Inclosure.]

FORT LAFAYETTE, September 24, 1861.

JOHN E. DEVELIN, Esq., Astor House, New York:

DEAR SIR: There are several parties here who though intelligent and possessed of means seem at a loss how exactly to proceed to secure their liberation from a confinement brought about under some misapprehension. I know nothing of the particulars of their cases but venture to suggest that if satisfied of their innocence of any impropriety which could justly consign them to this place you would probably be willing to take the necessary steps to secure their liberation with a zeal equal to your ability. At their instance I write to you, and if you should find it convenient to act for them and could get permission to see them in order to acquaint yourself with their cases they would be glad to see you.

I am, most respectfully, yours,

W. H. WINDER.