as giving to our people just views of the purpose of our enemies. A number of the paper containing the letter will be submitted to you with this. Without pretending to judge the real intent or parolable effect of this letter it is sufficient to say it seemed to many well calculated to cause distrust and discouragement among our people as to the result of the war and that the loyalty of the writer was greatly doubted.

Not very long after the publication of this article two letters addressed to the editor of the Enquirer elicited by the distrust which this letter had aroused as to the character and purposes of the writer were submitted by that editor to General Winder. Copies* of these two letters are transmitted herewith. One was from Captain T. E. Upshaw, a gallant officer of the army, giving the intelligence derived from one of his soldiers, a returned prisoner vouched as entirely truthful, that this revered gentleman (Mr. Graves) who had come down with the flag of truce to Harrison's Landing while there was heard by him giving information to the enemy of all he knew "about our matters at Richmond and especially about the gun-boat Richmond," in respect to which 'so elaborate were the discussion and explanation that the drawings and plans of the Monitor were brought and shown to him. " Other particulars tending to strengthen suspicion and identify the Revered Mr. Graves are given on which as you will have the letter it is needless to dwell.

In this connection it may be added that subsequently it has been ascertained that after his return from the North the Reverend Mr. Graves voluntarily stated to a leading clergyman of this city (Mr. Norwood) that finding difficulty interposed to his going North he had obtained his permit to proceed by affecting to give information which he believed would be of no avail to the enemy and had among other topics made statements respecting the gun-boat Richmond. This attitude, confessed by himself, of a minister of the gospel for an end of private advantage affecting to act the spy is certainly not calculated to diminish the suspicion of his conduct while it identifies him with the person charged by the soldier and confirms the general accuracy of his statement.

The other letter laid before General Winder signed "An old citizen," but submitted by Mr. George B. Miles, appears to have been written by a zealous citizen of North Carolina fully acquainted with the origin and antecedents of the Revered Mr. Graves and characterizes him as a Northern man, a Yankee undeserving of trust and more than doubtful loyalty having neither home nor people in North Carolina. On applying to General Winder for a passport at the time of his trop to Harrison's Landing Mr. Graves had represented himself as a New Yorker desirous of returning to the North. Other oral suggestions General Winder informs me were made from various

sources against this man, but the letters constituted the main grounds for his actions. He sent an officer under his command to North Carolina, had him arrested and brought to this city.

You will observe his information was that the revered gentleman had acted the spy and might naturally be expected to continue the same line of conduct. He did not know him to be a North Carolinian, but believed him an alien enemy (being described as a Yankee without home in the State), and as such being charged with giving information to the enemy he considered him as a spy, to be arrested anywhere in the Confederacy and brought for examination and trial to the military district within which his alleged offense had been committed. General Winder in the judgment of the Department acted with over-zeal in not

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*Not found.

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