1862 June 18 Baltimore

                          Baltimore  June 18th 1862
United States of America
         To Wm. Meade Addison
(Late U.States Attorney)                       Dr.

To services rendered the United
States in the seizure of the Tele-
graph Office, & the papers therein,
in the City of Baltimore in May
1861-------                                 $250:00


The circumstances under which this
claim arises are as follows:--
    About the 6th of May 1861, Mr Peter-
kin, a Special Agent of the War Depart
ment, accredited to me by the
Attorney General as one possessing
the full confidence of the Secretary
of War, presented to me a letter
from the Attorney General, a copy
of which is enclosed, "inviting &
requesting my prompt & energetic
cooperation with all the means at
my command"' to get possession
of any Telegraphic Messages that
might have been sent with

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purposes hostile to the Government
, or in relation to supplies of
Arms & Provisions, purchased for
and forwarded to the Southern Rebels.
      Mr. Peterkin was a stranger
in this city: and the work was
necessarily to be done by me.
     He informed me that it was
the wish & purpose of the Govern-
ment that the seizure should be
made simultaneously in many
cities.  This was necessary in order
that the measure might be ef-
fectual--
      After prudent and long in-
terviews with Mr. Peterkin, the plan
was formed, & on the day fixed upon
for the seizure, I went to Fort McHen-
ry, the HeadQuarters of General Cad-
wallader: informed him of the project,
and requested him to place an
armed force at my command, in
the City of Baltimore & within reach
of my orders, so that if it should
become necessary to resort to violence
to accomplish the object, the troops
would be at hand.  This he did.
                                                At

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At the appointed hour, I went, accom
panied by the Special Agent, to the
office & sent for the president Mr. Zenus
Barnum, one of our wealthiest citizens--
On his arrival I explained my pur-
pose, reminded him of the frantic condition
in which the City then was: that it
was the interest of all good citizens to
quiet it as much as possible: and
that this was particularly the interest
of the large property-owners: that the ne-
cessities of the Government required the
seizure of the despatches, no matter
what the consequences might be:
and then informed him that I had an
Armed Body of men within reach suf-
ficient to effect a seizure without
fail: and invited him to give me peace-
ably the documents required.  He as-
sented to it-& I sent to the Post-Office
in the city for mail-bags & a Post-Office
clerk: superintended the collection of the
despatches: received them: had them
                        in a Post Office wagon
sealed up & carried ^ to the Mail Car of
the Balto & Ohio R-Road company, by which
they proceeded to Washington, where in the
evening they were delivered under
the superintendence of Mr. Peterkin to the
War Department--

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Thus it will be seen that the wishes
of the Department were perfectly
gratified.
    The agent Mr. Peterkin distinctly
informed me that the Department
would compensate me liberally
for the services to be rendered.
    the services were rendered heartily
and with pleasure, notwithstand
    they were
-ing  ^ aside of my regular duties
and the action wholly without
precedent: and, in view of the temper
of the city at the time, not without
the risk of some personal peril.----

Respectfully
      Wm. Meade Addison
      Late U. States attorney---

[enclosure]

    Copy
                 Attorney General's Office
                     6th may 1861

Sir:
   This will be handed to you by
a special and accredited agent
of the Secretary of War. The object
in view is to enlist your services
and exertions on behalf of the Uni-
ted States Government to obtain
possession of any Telegraphic Despatches
that may have been sent with pur-
poses hostile to this Government,
or in relation to supplies of arms
& provisions purchased or forwarded
to the Southern Rebels.  all of which
will be fully explained to you by the
Agent of the War Department.
                The object of this letter is
to invite and request your prompt
and energetic cooperation, with all
the means at your command, in
carrying out in this regard the objects
and purposes of the Government.
              I am very Respectfully
 (signed)   Edwd. Bates
                    Attorney General

Wm. M. Addison, Esqr.
       U.S: Attorney for Md
                Baltimore--Md--

[on second page]

Account No. 2

MSS 4707