Case of Matthew F. and rutson Maury, Jr.

M. F. Maury, a British subject residing at New Orleans, was sarrested at Cleveland, Ohio, on the 7th day of November, 1861, by the U. S. marshal of the northern district of Ohio acting by direction of the Secretar of State. He was taken to Fort Lafayette and afterwards transferred to Fort Warren. Maury's offense was conveying letters to and from the rebel States, between those States and others of the United States and foreign countries. Some hundreds of letters addressed to parties in the rebel States were found in his possession. It is shown by the affidavits of Mr. Taylor and Mr. Patterson that Maury voluntarily told them that he had been engaged in conveying letters both ways between New York and New Orleans; had brought some 700 from New Orleans and was carrying a quantity to that place on his return. Maury states the same in a letter by him addressed to the Department of State. On the 5th of February, 1862, Colonel Dimick was instructed to release Maury on his undertaking under oath not to enter or correspond with any insurrectionary State nor do anything hostile to the United States during the present insurrection.

Rutson Maury, Jr., late of Galveston, Tex., was arrested at Washington on or about the 9th day of Novembeer, 1861, by order of the Secreetary of State and conveyed to Fort Lafayette and there confined. He was charged on information communicated from the U. S. marshal for the northern district of Ohio through the Attorney-General and from the U. S. collector at Cleveland through the Treasury Department with conveying correspondence to and from the States under insurrectionary control, between those States and the loyal States and Europe. Maury came from the South to New York and Boston about the 10th of October, 1861, and according to a statement made by William L. Burt, of Boston--

He stated to various parties that he brought on letters from the South-over 1,000-kprotected by the consular seal of British Consul Mure, of New Orleans. He delivered a great many letters and stated in my presence that he forwarded English letters that he brought through.

Maury started for the South by way of Cleveland and Louisville in the early part of November, 1861, and on or about the 4th day of that month his baggage was seized at Cleveland and several hundred letters were found in his possession addressed to persons in New Orleans and other places in the insurrectionary States. He left Cleveland for Washington with the object of soliciting the release of his baggage and was arrested in Washington as above stated. The U. S. marshal for the northern district of Ohio informs the Attorney-General that he has satisfactory evidence that Maury had made systematic arrangements--

For the regular transmission of letters to and from the States in rebellion, embracing both foreign and domestic correspondence. Foreign letters intended for New Orleans and other Southern points are sent by mail to houses in New York and probably Boston whence they are systematically delivered to carriers for him, who undertake their transmission clandestinely to their destination or to New Orleans for distribution.

Maury having been detected in the criminal act with which he is charged no attempt has been made to deny or conceal his guilt. The said Maury remained in custody at Fort Lafayette February 15, 1862, when in conformity with the order of the War Department of the preceding day he was transferred to the charge of that Department. -From Record Book, State Department. "Arrests for Disloyalty. "

66 R R-SERIES II, VOL II