"RICHMOND, July 19th, 1862.

"Mr. J. B. JONES.

"SIR:--I have just been directed by the Secretary of War that he
has turned over the whole business of passports to Gen. Winder, and
that applications for passports will not be received at this office
at all.

"Very respectfully,

"A. G. BLEDSOE,

"_Asst. Sec. War_."

Of course I ceased operations immediately. So large a concourse of
persons now accumulated in the hall, that it was soon necessary to put
up a notice that Gen. Winder would grant them passports. But the current
set back again. Gen. Winder _refused_ to issue passports to the
relatives of the sick and wounded in the camps, well knowing the
generals, his superiors in rank, would not recognize his authority. He
even came into the department, and tore down the notice with his own
hands.

JULY 20TH.--I am back again, signing passports to the army. But
yesterday, during the _interregnum_, the Beaverdam Depot was burnt by
the enemy, information of its defenseless condition having been given by
a Jew peddler, who obtained no passport from me.

JULY 21ST.--A Marylander, a lieutenant employed by Gen. Winder to guard
the prisoners (the generals and other high Yankee officers), came to me
to-day, with a friend who had just arrived from Baltimore, and demanded
passports to visit Drewry's Bluff, for the purpose of inspecting the
defenses. I refused, fearing he might (I did not like his face) have
been corrupted by his prisoners. He said very significantly that he
would go in spite of me. This I reported to the Assistant
Adjutant-General, and also wrote a note to Gen. Wise, to examine him
closely if he came within his lines.

JULY 22D.--To-day Gen. Winder came into my office in a passion with a
passport in his hand which I had given, a week before, to Mr. Collier,
of Petersburg, on the order of the Assistant Secretary of
War--threatening me with vengeance and the terrors of Castle Godwin, his
Bastile! if I granted any more passports to Petersburg where he was
military commander, that city being likewise under martial law. I
simply uttered a defiance, and he departed, boiling over with rage.

JULY 23D.--To-day I received the following note from the Secretary:

"JULY 23D, 1862.

"J. B. JONES, ESQ.

"SIR:--You will not issue passports except to persons going to the
camps near Richmond.

"Passports elsewhere will be granted by Brig.-Gen. Winder