real sentiments and decided connections, yet they are not found to have engaged in any act of pen disloyalty to our Government. The most of them moreover declare their innocence of any such intentions, alleging that if they have done wrong at all in this respect they had been misled by others who have made their escape from the country; and in evidence of their present sincerity and their desire to prove their loyalty to the South they have all voluntarily taken the oath of allegiance and earnestly insist upon being permitted to enter the military service in some of our companies. * * *

SOLON BORLAND,

Colonel, Commanding.

NEW ORLEANS, December 13, 1861.

Mr. BENJAMIN.

DEAR SIR: I have already written a few lines to you in behalf of my husband, M. L. Rossvally, and as I thought they may be lost I would write to you again begging of you to release my unfortunate husband. Mr. Benjamin, please take his case in consideration and you will see that my husband is innocently imprisoned. These false and scandalous articles that have been in the papers-this was all done by his personsl enemies, who for these last three and four years have been trying very hard to ruin him. My husband is not such as the false papers have stated. My husband is a gentleman and a true and kind-hearted one. On the 2nd day of May my husband left me with my three children trying to do good for his country, but as it seems he gets ill-treated for it. As for my husband's loyalty to the South there is not a better Southern citizen to be found. He would be willing to die at any moment if by so doing he could serve his country. I will ask the question, How could my husband be untrue to the South? Was it not the Southern soil that gave birth to his wife? Was it no the land that gave birth to his three childrenthat he loves dearer than his own soul? And yet the people are so wicked as to say he is untrue to his country. I will say no more upon this subject. Please, Mr. Benjamin, release my husband. Please, sir, do it for my sake and the sake of my little children. Consider, Mr. Benjamin, I have no husband at home, no money to support me, and besides I am sick all the time and have been under Doctor Lemonier's treatment these last four months and perhaps may have to be under his treatment six motnhs longer, as the doctor thinks himself. I shall beg of you once more, Mr. Benjamin, to release him and I shall be very thankful and obliged to you for it. Yours, respectfully,

CATHARINE ROSSVALLY.

RICHMOND, December 13, 1861.

Honorable H. W. THOMAS, Senate of Virginia.

DEAR SIR: The few moments' conversation with your yesterday induces me to address you this time, for I feel assured from the short acquaintance I have had with you that althugh we may differ politically yet an instinct of honor would govern your actions irrespective of those differences usually engendered by diversion of opinion.

The circumstances antecedent and attending my arrest are no doubt well known to you and it is only necessary to say to you that at no time