W. Biddle I would like it. The order could also admonish the marshal not again to take a letter of mine from the post-office. I anxiously wait to learn if your parole has been extended, fearing as I greatly do that itsnon-extension may have caused your silence.

Your affectionate brother,

W. H. WINDER.

FORT WARREN, December 5, 1861.

Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

SIR: In accordance with your letter of instructions* read to the parties confined in this fort to address you directly in realtion to their release I proceed to do so, relying upon the implie assurance of your letter that these communications will receive your personal attention and reply. I have been confined now nearly thirteenweeks and during all that time I have been unable to learn of any charge whatever, consequently I can only state that I am unconscious of act or word inconsistent with the character and duty of a true American citizen; hence I infer that my arrestdid not emanate from the head of a Department and that the names of such when employed in this matter were merely pro forma without attention to and probably without knowldge of the document to which they were attached. In this state of affairs I will respectfully submit to your consideration the propriety of allowing me on parole to visit Washington for the examination of my case, and I will add my conviction that a short interview will satisfy you of some error in my arrest and confinement which have proved seriously detrimental. Shoudl be granting of the parole prove to be inconsistend with your purposes I trust I shall not be disappointed in my expectation of receiving a statement of any chartes against me fully, specifically and with all the evidencein possession of the Department together with the names of all parties making charges.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. H. WINDER.

[WASHINGTON,] December 5, 1861.

Honorable F. W. SEWARD, Assistant Secretary.

SIR: I have ventured in the accompanying letter to solicit the attention of the honorable the Secrtary of State to the case of my brother, William H. Winder. May I take the liberty of invoking your good offices to lay my letter before him and to invite his attention to the subject-matter of it? I venture to suggest that the speediest and fairest mode of arriving at a just conclusion would be to allow him to come on to Washington and submit to the honorable the Secretary such explanations as he has to offer.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CH. H. WINDER.

[Inclosure.]

WASHINGTON, December 5, 1861.

Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

SIR: I beg leave most respectfully to solicit your attention to the case of my brother, William H. Winder, now a prisoner in Fort Warren. I have understood that Mr. Blatchford, Mr. Hodge and mr. Reverdy

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*See p. 151, Seward to Keyes, November 26.

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