I am, Colonel,

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

My report and recommendations were so highly esteemed by General Wallace
that he had a copy sent to General N. L. Jeffries, the Provost Marshal
General of the United States, and by him were my suggestions acted upon.
Colonel Lafayette C. Baker was sent to New York with a force of men and
very ample money; a very vigorous and extended raid was made, partially
successful, but I think my plan of putting fifteen or twenty men in with
the jumpers, to actually "jump" with them, thus obtaining evidence to
convict, would have been more successful. The current newspapers treated
this matter as of great importance, using the findings of my report,
saying: "Our quotas are being fraudulently filled, and furnishing no men
for the army, etc."

FILE XXIV.

General Wallace's letter to secretary of war, Charles A. Dana (afterwards
editor of the New York "Sun") asking for an extension of territory for my
work, incidentally introducing Colonel John S. Mosby, giving a list of his
men and their home addresses--A train robbery, paymasters robbed--I
recapture part of the money--Commissions in promotion declined.

Coleman's Eutaw House,
Baltimore, Nov. 19, 1864.

(Unofficial.)
Hon. C. A. Dana,
Asst. Sec. of War.

Dear Sir.--Lt. Smith, my Chief of Detectives, will hand you
this note.

It is necessary to one of his schemes, based upon a late
discovery, that he should have a pass from the Secretary of
the Navy to go through the lines of the blockade on the
Potomac. The pass should cover a vessel, a crew of six or
seven men and two or three hundred dollars' worth of goods.

I have every confidence that Lt. Smith will uncover a good
thing.

About his honesty there is no doubt.

Very truly,
Your friend, LEW WALLACE,
Major General Commanding.

The above letter is in General Wallace's own handwriting. I prize it
more than any commission or brevet commission that I have.

I needed just such an extended privilege as General Wallace asked for,
and in March following I obtained it.

Colonel John S. Mosby's Guerillas were the most annoying and expensive
antagonists we had. He operated along the line of the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad west of Washington, and also with a detachment between the
Potomac and Rappahannock. My probings extended into