WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 3, 1862

Honorable JAMES W. GRIMES, U. S. Senate.

SIR: The Secretary of War directs me to acknowledge your letter of the 31st ultimo* and its inclosures to the Secretary of State asking that copies of the intercepted letters of George W. Jones, of Dubuque, Iowa, may be furnished to you, and to stae in reply that for reasons affecting the public welfare he feels it to be his duty respectfully to decline complying with your request at the present time.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

P. H. WATSON,

Assistant Secretary of War.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 31, 1862.

Honorable JAMES W. GRIMES, U. S. Senate.

SIR: Your letter of this date+ and its two inclosures relative to the intercepted correspondence of Mr. George W. Jones has been duly received. In reply I have the honor to inform you that the subject shall be brought before the Secretary of War, to whom all these papers were transferred+ on February 14, 1862.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

F. W. SEWARD,

Assistant Secretary.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 16, 1863

E. R. MEADE, Esq.

DEAR SIR: I received the note which you addressed to me on the 14th instant informing me that you have been retained by George W. Jones, of Iowa, to institute proceedings against me for damages growing out of his recent arrest and imprisonment, andin consideration of courtesy and mutual convenience suggest that if it should be agreeable to me I might refer you to attorneys in New York who could enter an appearance for me and thereby dispense with personal service of process. I thank you very sincerely for the consideration which you have manifested in this respect, and prayyou to be assured that it is duly appreciated.

I have to state in reply to your suggestion that the matter involved is an official one, and I am not at liberty to unite or favor the proceedings which you regard it as your duty to institute. For this reason I must leave you to conduct the affair in your own way. Your letter is marked personal, which is very proper so far as you are concerned, but the same consideration which I have before mentioned has obliged me to regard it as a public one, and that communication together with this answer has thereupon been submitted to the President of the United States.

I am, dear sir, your very obedient servant,

W. H. SEWARD.

---------------

*Not found.

+Not found. None of the papers referred to can be found among the records in the War Department.

---------------