WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 8, 1862.

Major General H. W. HALLECK, Saint Louis, MO.

GENERAL: I inclose herewith for your information a letter* from H. M. Hoxie esq. the U. S. marshal for the district of Iowa, relative to proceedings which one C. C. Cole, who is represented to be a sympathizer with the persons in insurrection against the authority of the Government of the United States, has commenced against him for declining to obey a writ of habeas corpus while in the execution of an order from the Secretary of State. The State of Iowais in your military department. The President by an order addressed to you on the 6th day of December last suspended that writ therein.

With a view to this arrest you will adopt such proceedings as you may find necessary to protect officers who perform whatsoever duties are required of them by the Executive. It is presumed that the arrest and detention of Mr. C. C. Cole would have a salutary effect. An order addressed to the U. S. marshal at Des Moines, Iowa, will without doubt be properly executed.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 10, 1862.

Hons. JAMES HARLAN and JAMES W. GRIMES, U. S. Senate;

GENTLEMEN: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th ultimo, requesting that "Mr. W. M. Hill, a citizen of the United States residing in Iowa now in confinement at Fort Lafayette on an order as it is said emanating from the Secretary of State on account of suspicion of disloyalty may be discharged from custody and permitted to return to his family. "

In reply I have the honor to state that Mr. Hill is held upon what appears to be conclusive evidence that he not only sympathized with the enemies in hostility to the Government of the United States but that he was actually engaged in afording aid and comfort to them in the character of a spy. It is presumed, however, that in est you may have been actuated by a knowledge of facts of which this Department may not be aware. I will consequently thank you to state the reasons upon which your application is founded.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

E. M. STANTON,

Secretary of War.

SENATE CHAMBER, Washington, March 13, 1862

Honorable EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.

SIR: We have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th instant concerning the imprisonment of William M. Hill of Iowa, at Fort Lafayette. We are informed that Mr. Hill was indicted by the grand jury of the U. S. district court for Iowa, but that Honorable W. H. F. Gurley, U. S. district attorney for Iowa, after consultation with the Attorney-General of the United States entered a nol. pros. in the case on the ground that there was not sufficient evidence to convict Mr. Hill of treason.

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*Omitted here. See Hoxie to Seward January 27, with its inclosures, p. 1326.

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