directed to the Honorable Robert McCLelland, ex-Secretary of the Interior, a resident of this city implicating himself and ex-Senator Charles E. Stuart, of Kalamazoo, was intercepted here, and a copy has been furnished you. Since that time the writer, Dr. Guy S. Hopkins, of Lapeer County, Mich. has been discovered with three confederates mainly through the exertions of Joseph P. Whiting, sheriff of this city, and they have been sent to Fort Lafayette. Ex-Senator Stuart holdsd a commission from the Secretary of War to raise a regiment. I venture to suggest that the commission ought to be revoked and that both of those gentlemen are worthy of a place in Fort Warren. Permit me also to recommend the appointment of Mr. Whiting as secret agent here in addition to Mr. Barse, to be charged with the special duty of breaking up the order referred to.

I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant,

ALFRED RUSSELL,

Acting U. S. District Attorney, Michigan.

[DETROIT, December 9, 1861.]

[Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington.]

SIR: * * * The "S. " above [following] is the same that is mentioned as Captain S. in the mysterious letter* sent you some days since, and written by Guy S. Hopkins, now confined in Fort Lafayette.

BARSE.

[Inclosure Numbers 1. -From the Pontiac Gazette.]

THE ARRESTS FOR TREASON IN LAPEER COUNTY.

We understand that three men charged with treason were last week arrested by the U. S. marshal in Lapeer County and taken to Fort Lafayette. One of them is said to have objected to being handcuffed, when the marshal told him he could take his choice between the contents of a revolver or being handcuffed, when the contumacious traitor permitted himself to be shackled. We understand that these men were proved to be disloyal by certain letters they had written to parties South which of course never reached their destination but went to the dead-letter office, when their treasonable contents were known and their authors ordered to be "nabbed. " One of the prisoners, a Mr. Butler, is said to have formerly resided in Auburn, this county.

We learn that the proper authorities have the names of several in this county who if evidence can be obtained to prove their secession proclivities will follow in the infamous footsteps of their Lapeer brethren in treason.

[Inclosure Numbers 2.]

KIDNAPPING.

LAPEER, December 1.

To the EDITOR OF THE DETROIT FREE PRESS:

Democrats uphere are kidnapped and stolen away to Fort Warren or somewhere else and for what no one knows, unless it be because he is a Democrat; and it is said that several others are marked to go also. Perhaps you may not know to what I refer. One week ago to-day two persons claiming to be U. S. marshals went north of us about twenty

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*See p. 1248.

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