DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 30, 1861.

RICHARD M. BLATCHFORD, Esq., New York.

SIR: The Secretary of State has directed Colonel Martin Burke to permit you to visit in presence of a proper officer the prisoner, W. H. Winder, at Fort Lafayette.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. D. WEBSTER,

Clerk.

FORT HAMILTON, September 30, 1861.

Colonel E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General.

SIR: Inclosed you will find a letter from a respectable party in answer to one from Mr. Winder, now confined in Fort Lafayette. I thought it would not be improper to send it to you in order that I might be informed of the views of the Department upon the matter.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

MARTIN BURKE,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

[Inclosure.]

Numbers 53 LIBERTY STREET, NEW YORK, September 30, 1861.

WILLIAM H. WINDER, Esq.

DEAR SIR: On my return to-day from Washington I find on my table your favor dated Fort Lafayette, 24th instant, stating that there are several parties there at a loss how to proceed to secure their liberty from a confinement brought about under some misapprehension and suggesting that if satisfied of their innocence of any impropriety which could justly consign them to that place I would probably be willing to take the necessary steps to secure their liberation.

In answer I would say I would feel it a duty imposed upon me by my profession to investigate the case of any of the gentlemen confined at the fort who should desire me to do so, and that in the event of evidence being furnished which in my judgment ought to satisfy the officers of the Government that the party had been arrested and was detained under a misapprehension I should do all in my power to secure his release. Entrance to the fort can be had only by special permission, and the name of the gentleman to be visited must be inserted in the pass as I understand. You will therefore readily perceive that in order to pay a visit to any of the gentlemen referred to in your note it is necessary for me to be possessed of his name. If you will be so kind therefore as to send me their names I will endeavor to visit them to-morrow.

Yours, very respectfully,

JOHN E. DEVELIN.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 1, 1861.

Colonel MARTIN BURKE, Fort Hamilton, N. Y.

COLONEL: I transmit a copy* of a letter of the 24th ultimo, addressed by Mr. Winder, a prisoner at Fort Lafayette, to Mr. John Develin at the Astor House, New York, the original of which has been forwarded

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*Omitted here. See inclosure Develin to Seward, September 25, p. 726.

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