me to proceed to New York and obtain their attendance. You furnished me with the names and probable whereabouts of the witnesses, viz; Sanford Conover, post-office address, Station A, New York; Joseph Snevel, post-office address, Station D, New York; William Campbell, Farnum B, Wright, and John McGill, supposed to be in or about New York; John H. Patten, supposed to be in Saint Louis; Sarah Douglas and Mary Knapp, supposed to be in Canada. You advised that Wright should be sent to find Patten and Conover to go to Canada for the two women. You sent a telegram to Snevel to meet me at the Astor House the morning of the 27th of April and gave me a letter of introduction to Conover, of which the following is a true copy:

WAR DEPARTMENT, BUREAU OF MILITARY JUSTICE,

Washington, D. C., April 26, 1866.

Mr. SANFORD CONOVER:

DEAR SIR: This will be presented to you by Colonel Turner, judge-advocate, who will communicate with you fully in regard to the business which takes him to New York. The Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives are anxious to secure at as early a day as possible the attendance of the witnesses named in a list in Colonel Turner's hands and I write to request that you will at once use all your efforts to secure that result. You probably know the whereabouts of most of them and through your personal exertions, aided by others, may succeed in bringing these witnesses, or at least the greater part of them, before the committee. I saw Mr. Wilson this morning, who read me your letter, and it is at his instance that I write you, having no doubt that from the information you have and your past faithfulness you will be both able and willing to do in the interest of truth and public justice what is now required of you.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. HOLT,

Judge-Advocate-General.

The sole object of said letter was my introduction to Conover to have him aid in procuring the witnesses before the committee. All the witnesses were unknown to me, and I was not before advised that their depositions had been taken. And there was no intimation that there was any suspicion entertained by any one that their testimony was not perfectly truthful and reliable. I arrived at the Astor House on the morning of April 27 last, and, after repeated delays and annoying difficulties, obtained interviews with Conover, Campbell, and Snevel, and a copy of my report in this regard, made at your request to the Judiciary Committee, is herewith inclosed.* Through the disclosures of Campbell and otherwise I ascertained, undoubtedly, that all the witnesses procured by Conover before the Bureau of Military Justice deposed under fictitious names; that their verified statements were false and fabricated by Conover; and that Conover, in the service of confederated rebels, was the author of the atrocious scheme which resulted in such astounding perjuries and subornations. Thursday, May 3, I returned to Washington and Campbell accompanied me. After reporting to you, and your interview with Campbell, a telegram was sent at your instance to Conover, requesting his immediate attendance before the Judiciary Committee. Conover, having no suspicion that Campbell and myself were in Washington, came on at once, and, greatly to his surprise, he was confronted by Campbell in the Judiciary Committee room, which was the result of an arrangement between you, Mr. Wilson, chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, and myself. After Campbell had been examined Conover asserted that the statement of Campbell had been fabricated by him (Conover) was false, and the Judiciary Committee permitted him to return

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*See June 2, p. 921.

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