as being on a mission through the State from his military chieftain. Being himself without any knowledge of the existence or circumstances of any such organization, and purposely refraining, myself, from making it known to him or giving him any clue to it, he was obliged to discover its existence from his own shrewd personal observations, and thus afford me corroborating evidence of the correctness of the information I had, which he soon did, as will be seen by his report hereto annexed, as that of David Wayne, marked H.

My next step was to obtain admission into the city lodges for a few persons of undoubted reliability, who could thus service as reporters of the proceedings of those lodges for this office. In looking around I soon found several shrewd men in whom I had confidence and upon whom I knew I could rely. One of them I knew to be an unconditional Union man, but who, owing to surrounding circumstances, was universally regarded as entirely in sympathy with the South and the rebellion by the rebel sympathizers in this city. I proposed to him to become a member and keep me advised of its proceedings. After due and careful consideration he determined to undertake the difficult and hazardous task, and gained admission without difficulty. In doing so he assumed the name in all his intercourse and communications with this office, of William Taylor. I annex a statement of the information furnished by him, marked I.

The other was a New England man by birth, education, and habits - in a word, a shrewd, cool, cautious, wide-awake Yankee - of undoubted fidelity and integrity, and of unquestioned loyalty and an entire stranger in the city. He obtained most valuable information, and so well played his part that he was mistakenly received in one or two instances as a member of the order before being one; but, finding it to take longer time than I thought it was proper to give to enable him to become a member of the order here, I determined to change his sphere of action and transfer him to another locality where he might not only gain immediate admission, but obtain additional valuable information. On entering upon his mission he assumed the name of Edward F. Hoffman, and the report signed by the name will be known as his. I annex the one relating to his operations in this city, marked K.

About this time I received a letter from the district provost-marshal at Saint Joseph, stating that there was a Confederate soldier imprisoned there who could, and appeared willing, to communicate important information. He was immediately ordered to be brought to this city and examined. His sworn statement is that of Abraham N. McGuire, hereto annexed, marked M.

Having now, as I thought, a sufficient number of active, reliable agents at work in this department to obtain all the necessary information, I turned my attention to other localities, and determined to send several persons to Louisville, Ky. The first man selected was Hoffman. He left here for that city on the 1st or 2nd of May. Immediately on his arrival there he became "cheek by jowl" with the rebels of that city, was promptly passed through the first degree of the order, and then, with the proper credentials and certificates, made his way, as directed, to Indianapolis, Ind., where but for the mishap noticed in the reports hereto annexed, marked N and O, he would have passed through the process of the other degrees and [been] received into full communion.

A day or two after Hoffman's departure from this city for Louisville, I sent another agent, passing under the name of James M. Forester, to meet and co-operate with him there. They were entire strangers to each other. Forester had been in the South, was thoroughly familiar