Part 23 (1/2)

I am Captain, Very respy. your obdt. servt, H. B. SMITH, Lt. & Chief.

Headquarters, Middle Department, 8th Army Corps.

Baltimore, Dec. 6, 1864.

Capt. W. H. Wiegel, a.s.st. Provost Marshal, 8th Army Corps.

Captain.--I have the honor to report the arrest of John Henry Skinner Quinn, alias J. Y. Plater, alias Simpson, on charge of being a spy.

I hand you two sworn statements that he made to me, also his memorandum book in which is a partial description of his first visit to Baltimore, also some entries, some of which he explains in his statement. I also hand you his furlough, which he said he did not have, in his first statement.

On this trip he registered at Miller's Hotel as ”Simpson.” On 23d April last, he registered at same hotel as John Y. Plater.

You can see by his statements that he tries to conceal the Rebel sympathizers of this Department, and some he positively refuses to name, but asks me to kill him, and not ask him any more questions.

He came to this office to report as a Rebel deserter, but when he found that I had been on his track, he owned up, but refused to implicate his friends.

I am, Captain, Very respy. your obdt. servt., H. B. SMITH, Lt. & Chief.

As General Wallace had said, it was our duty to ascertain by every means, the status of all persons; our archives were crowded with information, which materially helped us to avoid the dilemma General Schenck described.

Headquarters, Middle Department, 8th Army Corps.

Baltimore, Dec. 7, 1864.

Capt. W. H. Wiegel, a.s.st. Provost Marshal, 8th Army Corps.

Captain.--I have the honor to report the arrest of E. R. Rich, of the 1st Md. Rebel Cavalry, on the charge of being a spy. He came to this office to report and take the oath of allegiance, but I think he did not come until he heard from his friend Quinn, with whom he came to this city. I hand you herewith his sworn statement, memoranda and pocket book, which show his character.

You will also see an entry in his memoranda where Skinner Quinn (now in prison) started for Baltimore last spring, which corroborates Quinn's statement. You will also see that he registered under several names.

The memorandum book shows that it was his intention to return for good to Virginia.

Very respy. your obdt. servt, H. B. SMITH, Lt. & Chief.

Both Quinn and Rich were sentenced to be hanged, but their sentences were finally commuted to imprisonment during the continuance of the war.

FILE XXVII.

Statement of Illinois Crothers, giving valuable and reliable information, implicating Mr. William Mitch.e.l.l and a Mrs. Keenan, of Winchester, Virginia--Report on Daniel W. Jones and Joseph Bratton--Am given unlimited access to prisoners in Baltimore city jail.

Headquarters, Middle Department, 8th Army Corps.

Baltimore, Dec. 10, 1864.

Lt. Col. Woolley, Provost Marshal.