FORT MONROE, VA., September 5, 1866.

Commanding OFFICER MIL. DIST. OF FORT MONROE,

Fort Monroe, Va.:

SIR: I respectfully report the condition of state prisoner Jefferson Davis to be somewhat less favorable than at the time of my last communication. He complains of neuralgic pains, is restless, and appears more debilitated than usual. He states that his muscular strength is growing less. His pulse is somewhat more rapid than it has been during the week. The skin of his hands is cold and clammy. His face gives indication of more mental anxiety than is generally observable upon it. His appetite is as usual, and he sleeps no better than heretofore.

Your obedient servant,

GEO. E. COOPER,

Surgeon, U. S. Army.

[Indorsement.]

HDQRS. MILITARY DISTRICT OF FORT MONROE,
Fort Monroe, Va., September 6, 1866.

Respectfully forwarded to Bvt. Major General E. D. Townsend, assistant adjutant-general, War Department, Washington, D. C.

H. S. BURTON,

Brevet Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, Commanding.

JUDGE-ADVOCATE'S OFFICE, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, September 10, 1866.

General J. HOLT, Judge-Advocate-General:

GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 8th instant, in which you state, "A base endeavor is being made through the disloyal press of the country, acting in the interests of Jefferson Davis and the rebellion and in co-operation with Sanford Conover, to impress the public mind with the belief that I in some way countenanced or was involved with Conover in the subornation of the witnesses produced by him before the Bureau of Military Justice, and whose testimony is now discredited as having been fabricated by himself." You also state, "A further impression is sought to be made, in utter disregard to the facts, that the crime thus committed by Conover was not discovered by any agency of mine, but in despite of endeavors on my part to prevent the exposure." And inasmuch as I, your agent and acting under your directions, was connected with exposing and disclosing the falsity of the testimony produced by Conover and his subornation of witnesses, you request me to "make a very brief but distinct statement of all that occurred in connection with this testimony in any manner bearing on the atrocious calumnies against me, &c." In compliance with your request I respectfully state that on the 26th of April last you informed me that certain persons had made depositions before the Bureau of Military Justice relative to the alleged connection of Jefferson Davis, C. C. Clay, and others with the assassination of President Lincoln. That the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives were investigating the matter, and you were unwilling that the depositions should be received as testimony without being tested and verified by the personal examination and cross-examination of the witnesses by the committee. You seemed anxious that the witnesses should be produced before the committee, and directed and instructed