Saint Joseph and there imprisoned. While confined there he gave information to Messrs. Strong and Parker, two eminent lawyers of that place of undoubted loyalty, of such a character as to induce them to address me a letter, urging that I should have him brought to this city for the purpose of obtaining from him the information he professed to have and to be ready to communicated. I complied with their suggestion, brought him here, and after having an interview with, him reduced to writing the representations he made with will be found annexed, marked A.

About the same time, I think the day of my interview with Jones, two other persons presented themselves and made representations in many respects corroborating parts of those of Jones and fully confirming the suspicious which had already been aroused in my mind. Both these persons had been rebel officers, but taken prisoners and had been placed on parole before I entered upon my duties. Entire secrecy as to their identity being important to them as well as to the success of their operations, each assumed and passed under a name different from his own, the one as William Jones, and the other as William Stinson. I requested each to put in writing their statements, and they will be found annexed, marked B and C.

About the same time, but a few days afterward, I had refereed to me by you a letter from Brigadier-General Reid, commanding at Cairo, inclosing several documents from Captain Talmage, provost-marshal at Cairo, giving some revelations made at that place by one calling himself Dr. Edward Everett. A few days later this doctor called at this office and had an interview with me, giving substantially the information I already had obtained from the different parties mentioned. I was fully satisfied of his entire knowledge of the character and operations of this secret order and had no doubt that he could make himself very useful in exposing it; but the interview with him left anything but a favorable impression upon my mind of his character. I became satisfied that he was wholly untrustworthy and expected to realize a speculation out of his operations. I felt unwilling, therefore, to repose confidence in him, being convinced in my own mind that his object was purely mercenary and that he would simply disclose a part and then make his way elsewhere, probably to dispose of further information for a price. He soon discovered that he could not make out of me what he had anticipated and suddenly disappeared and I have not heard from him since. I annex the letter of General Reid, and accompanying documents, marked D.

Simultaneously with the information thus obtained a document fell into my hands fully confirming all that had been stated to me. I annex a copy, marked E.

The two paroled rebel officers were immediately put to work by me to ferret out the operations of the secret order in this department. They were sent into different parts of the State. Being both members of rebel secret organization - Stinson belonging to that of Knights of the Golden Circle, and Jones to that of the American Knights - they had no difficulty in gaining access to the lodges in the different localities and obtaining such information as I was in search of. I annex reports from each, marked F and G.

Having started off these agents on their mission through the department, I employed a thoroughly reliable Union man, and somewhat famous scout, to make a reconnoitering tour through the northwestern counties of the department. Dropping his real name, and assuming the grab and character of one of Price's soldiers, he passed himself off