The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-07-15
SEYMOUR ANDTHE REBEL COM
MISSIONERS.
ImPORTANT REVELATIONS,
Etom lhs Columbus Journal.

From he Columbus Journal.
We publish to-day the affidavit oil
Captain James Sidney Hill, to which
allusion has heretofore been made by
us. The publication of this important
affidavit has been purposely delayed
with the hope and expectation that
Horatio Seymour would be nominated
for the Presidency by the Convention
at New York.
II will be remembered that when ref
erence was made to the existence of
this testimony, Governor Seymour ex-
hibited ungovernable rage, and not
only took occasion to vouch for his
own innocence, but to attack with saw
age emphasis all officers and agents of
having been instrumental in making
known to the State Department the ma
ture of his relations with the rebel
Commissioners in Canada.
The writer, who, in 1864, WAS consul
of the United States in New Brunswick,
having been appointed to that Office by
President Lincoln in September, 1864,
had occasion TO transmit to the Score
tary of State, information concerning
the movements of the rebel Commits
sioners, Clement G. Clay and James p.
Holcoulbe, and ii especially became
his duty TO make known to the Gov
eminent whatever facts were known
in tho British Provinces concerning the
nature of the "mission" of these noto-
rious enemies of the United States.
Application will be made to the State
Department for copies of the full cor
respondenoe on this subject which,
when obtained, will be made public.
The important fact was then we'll
known that the prime purpose that the
Davis Government had in sending
Commissioners to Canada, was to array
the State of New York in hostility to
the Federal Government. Captain
Hills testimony establishes beyond
question the fact that such was the con-
fidence reposed In Horatio Seymour,
then Governor of New York, that the
rebel chiefs did not hesitate to address
him on a subject which they knew was
dear to his heart-the triumph of the
COnfederacy, and opened confidential
correspondence with him, as with a
Il led and trusted agent of their own.
Clement G. Clay, who organized the
raiding and pirntical expeditions from
Canada into the United States, express
ed his entire willingness to visit Og-
densburg, New York, knowing that
Seymour would give him safe pass:
port throughout his "Sovereign State"
1t will be proved hereafter that Clay
sent dispatches to and received dis
patches from Albany, while at Hall
fax, Quebec and Montreal; that mes
sengers were passing between the Rebel
Commissioners and the rebel sympa-
pathizing Governor, for period of al
most two months; and we believe also
that the exact nature of these COmmu'
nications will, ere long, be{ully known.
So much by way ofex PLANTATION to-day.
We shall pursue this subject until the
treachery and treason of Horatio Sey-
mour, the worst and widest enemy of
the Republic. are laid bare. We pro-
pose to see the thing through, and shall
fiUhf II ont on this line.
The following is an exact copy of the
original affidavit now on file in the
State Department OF the U. S. Govern
ment:
AFFIDAVIT OF CAPTAIN JAMES SIDNEY
HILL.
CONSULATE OF THE UNITED Stairs,
ST. JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK. J
On this second day of June. 1864. per-
sonallY appeared before me, j. @. How
ard, U. s. Consul at st. John, n. B.,
James Sidney Hill, who soIemnly
am now about twenty-eight years OF
age; I was born in the Parish of st.
Bernard, Louisiana; 1 hm the son of
Jerome Phillip HILL of New Orleans,
who has always been devoted Union
man. was educated as civil en-
gineer at West Point Virginia.
In the year 1861, in the month OF
April, was carried away by the In
tense excitement that prevailed, and
entered the rebel service as captain of a
company of volunteers; i served in the
rebel army at the first battle of Manas-
sas, at the battles before Richmond, at
the time of McClellan's advance, and
also took part in the battle of Antie-
tam; was wounded in the seventh days
fight near Richmond; was sent to Sa-
yannah as engineer on the staff of Gen.
Gustavus w, Smith. and obtained leave
of absence to go to Wilmington from
Wilmington ran the blockade on the
was to get out of the rebel service and
take the oath of allegiance; from Mas.
sau went to Havana, and there took
the oath of allegiance under Mr.. Lin
coins amnesty proclamation; from
Havana went to st. Thomas with a
friend; who was In dying condition;
thence oSt. Johns, Porto Rico; could
not get a vessel at Porto Rico for New
Orleans, but obtained passage to Hall
fax, Nova Scotia, where 1 expected
more readily to get a vessel.
I had been in Halifax about four
days, when happening to be at the
wharf when the mail steamer Alpha
arrived from Bermuda, was accosted
at the landing by the Hon. G. @. Clay,
of Alabama, whom I accompanied to
the Waverly Hotel. Colonel Duncan,
of Louisville, Kentucky, was in COM
pany with us. Mr.. Clay said he was
out on little business for the Govern
ment, and was on his way to Canada;
said he had great confidence in me. A
day or two after this conversation 1
came to st. John, New Brunswick,
hoping to get to New Orleans by way
of Portland; and on the first day of
June I again met Mr.. Clay at the steam
boat landing. BE said he Wanted me to
come as soon as could TO the Waverly
Hotel 70 see him; about eight o'clock he
sent boy to the Lawrence Hotel for
me, and went up to the Waverly to
Mr.. CIay's private room.
BE said. look here, Captain, I want
you to go to Canada; I shall UeTy prob
ably 90 TO 00dsaSbssFg, and as 1 am not
at all well, I need some company;
would have gone to Portland, but am
AFRAID some one would recognize me.
He proposed to take walk, and after
our return he requested me to come up
to the hotel early In the morning (this
morningl he sent for me at half past
seven, and went directly up. he
took me to his private room and again
urged me to 20 with him.
He took from a pocket In The back of