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examination of, and the discretion claimed to retain letters to us from the nearest members of our families, as well as the preventing us from receiving newspapers, ran only be regarded as measures of punishment, adopted towards those who have been convicted of no offence ; to whom no opportunity has been afforded for an investigation of any charges that may possibly have been preferred against them; and for whose arrest, as our counsel were assured by General Banks, there were no other reasons than the allegations set forth by him in his proclamation; and the continuance of whose confinement, he stated to be solely a precautionary measure on the part of the government. These assurances were given by him at Fort McHenry. I will add that, whatever may be the disposition of the officer commanding the post, and of those in this garrison, to 'treat us kindly,' they are restricted in doing so, within extremely narrow limits, either by other orders they may have received, or by the means of extending such treatment not having been supplied to them. We are isolated—at a distance of two hundred miles from our families, and all but a few friends; and with these we are permitted to have no intercourse. We are thrown upon our own resources—those of us who may have means, being allowed to find, at our own cost, within the Fort, decent, but very ordinary fare, whilst those who cannot, in justice to their families, afford such expense, have nothing but the ordinary rations of the soldier, which are of the coarsest kind. In consequence of the delay in other departments of the service, in complying with the requisitions which the officers here have made, we should at this moment, though we have been here a week, have been without a chair or table but for the courtesy of Lieutenant Stirling, who, seeing our state of utter discomfort, has lent to us two chairs from his own quarters; and that of the wife of a Sergeant, who has lent us a small stand. We are informed, however, that a supply of such articles may be expected, for our use, from the city, this evening. Finally, there are six of us confined in one room, precisely similar, in all respects, to that described in my letter of the 1st inst., to which I beg leave to refer you.
"I have the honor to be
"Your obedient servant,
"CHARLES HOWARD."
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