your consideration and my discharge, and to manifest my loyalty am willing to take any oath to faithfully obey the laws and the Constitution of the United States Government.

Trusting to have the honor of your early reply, I remain, very truly, your most obedient s ervant,

F. WYATT.

FORT LAFAYETTE, October 1, 1861.

Honb. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Washington.

DEAR SIR: I have been here over a week and have refrained from troubling you, relying on perhaps a misunderstood promise of Marshal Millward, of Philadelphia, and a belief in my mind that my arrest was intended to shileld me from the suspicion of being the cause of the arrest of my companiuns, as the whole of this arrest was evidently premature and caused by the unwise action of Mr. Franklin, Philadelphia detective, and of Mr. Baker (if that is his name), Government detective, interfering with Mr. Millward's plans and way of using me. It is a matter of as deep grief to me that Messrs. Haig and Wyatt should be here as myself, for it never was my intention to lead them into such a sitiuation. My whole object was to learn the plans of Govenror Letcher and Jeff. Davis and to get their plans to work thourgh me. I believe if Mr. Millward and I had not been interfered with that we would verily have succeeded, and these gentlemen I should have claimed and did claim as my aids. Ihave no doubt and can prove I think that I should have asscertained all their sercret plans, have been able to point out their resources for at least half a million in money and enablt to strike a heavy blow where it would have been felt. By this interference of detectives that has all been prevented and the barren arrest of three individuals the only result.

I presume that Marshal Millward has sent you a voluntary statement which I made to him in Moyamensing Prison which is a true statment of all I have ever done in this way; and as I presume my case is not by any means the only business you have under consieration I will take the liberty to srate consisely my every step, all off whihstatement canb e verfied by officers of the Government in Washington or Philadelphia.

First. The only lot of goods I ever bought was perhaps over two months ago and is the lot I referred to in my voluntary statemtn to Mr. Millward above referred to, and was before any intimation of such goods being forbidden. Baltimore was given, but when I was in New York buying this lot of goods I addressed you from Sweeny's Hotel, New York, saying that I was buying army goods for the Baltimore market on commission, and would not forward the same if instructed by you not to; that I was a British subject, a long time blessed by your Government, having less right to strian your laws than a native born; that I presumed there was nothing wrong in my buying, &c., but that your objectin addressed to my office in Philadelphia would be obeyed. I received no reply.

Second. I was assured by Mr. Haig, my Baltimore principal, that therse ogoods were for loyal and legitimate trade. I had no reason to doubt him and did not. In fact I had many reasons to believe that there was a large, profitable and legitimate trade inBaltimore and Washington for these goods. But on being applied to a second time I made up my mind that these goods might be intended for the enemy.

53 R R- SERIES II, VOL II