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"Fort La Fayette, N. Y. Harbor, August 8th, 1861.
"Lieut. Gen. SCOTT, Commander-in-Chief, U. S. A.
"Headquarters, "Washington, D. C.
"Sir:
"By a letter received last night from Mrs. Howard, I learn that in reply to the inquiries she made of you, she was informed that I would be "decently lodged and subsisted here." I wrote to the Hon. the Secretary of War, on the 1st inst., and again yesterday, advising him of the treatment which I and my fellow prisoners are receiving. A perusal of those letters would satisfy you that these assurances are not verified. I need here only say, that we are not "decently lodged," nor are we in any sense of the words "decently subsisted" by the Government. The only proffer of subsistence made to us, has been to feed us like the private soldiers of the garrison, or to allow us to procure other meals at our own cost.
"I have the honor to be
"Your obedient servant,
"CHARLES HOWARD."
"Fort La Fayette, N. Y. Harbor, August 12th, 1861.
"Hon. SIMON CAMERON, Sec'y of War,
"Washington, D. C.
"Sir:
"I laid before you a statement of the condition in which I am kept, in two former communications, the one on the 1st inst., and the other a few days subsequently; to which I beg leave to refer. And I should not again trouble you, had I not, since my last, learned on the direct authority of Lieutenant-General Scott, that an order had been given by the Department of State, that the political prisoners confined at Fort La Fayette, shall be "decently lodged and subsisted, unless they prefer to provide for themselves." The "decent lodging" furnished us, consists in putting seven gentlemen to sleep in one room, of which I have before given you a description. Within this or at the door of it, we are required to remain, except during two hours in the day or whilst taking our meals.
