Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-27
COL. PICKETT ANSWERED.
A Defence Of Jacob Thompson by
sssss One Of His SuhOrdinates.
ThOmpsOn's Completely. in the Plots
to Burn New York and Murder
President Lincoln Denied. d
40 the EdItor o. the Nsw Y0rk Herala:

4 !.
To the Editor Of the New York Herald:
The report received in Washington de
patch that STE, 900 had been paid for fol
trunks of papers, embracing the archives {
the late Confederate government, appear
an ambiguous ifsnot astounding rumo
The Herald sagely suggests that Juda
P. Benjamin honorably destroyed the secre
| service vouchers, and these documents nov
offered TO the present administration ca
only therefore contain those military record
and reports of action in the civil servic
that are interesting as historical records.
The writer proposes to explain certai
matters which have hitherto been regarded a
mysterious, and though he performed onl,
asubordinate part, yet he had access to thos
who were chief actors, and, possessing thei
confidence, became familiar with much tina
was done or attempted on the Canada
frontier during our late unhappy civil con
fiict. 1t is simple statement of facts du
to those unjustly maligned. The brief re
cital viii be fortified by documentary evil
dence, drawn from papers secures
by the writer in Canada after the war
They are used by permission. Every gov
eminent has It's secret service, and some
through their agency. The secret agent il
the war of 1872 was Edwards, who had &C
cess to all the leading politicians of that pc
riod, and through whose agency the Hart
ford Convention was convened. Daoie
Webster, when Secretary of State, made
free use Of agents in this service, and Lore
Palmerston did not hesitate to send hi:
agents to America and elsewhere to secretly
watch the political movements of foreign
powers. Its not surprising, therefore, thai
the Southern States in their late struggle
for a separate political existence, should
use every means recognized among nations
as lawful and right to effect the accomplish
ment of their purpose. There is no reason
when these events have happily passed
away forever that the world should not
know the truth, and thus dissipate the mis-.
cradle suspicious and unjusti6able charges
which mystery enables partisans or jealous
enemies to throw around the unexplained
conduct of those engaged in Canada in the
secret service of the South.
The letters quoted we're placed at the dis
posal of the writer, to be used at discretion,
and there is therefore no breach of conf
dence in their present publication.
The Herald has quoted certain damaging
charges against Jacob Thompson, aud it
win be the object of the present article to
give statement OF facts.
InprinaiS: The writer first offers the fol-
lowing letter from Judah p. Benjamin, ad-
dressed to Jacob Thompson in Canada:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, RICHMOND,
March 2, 1S65.-Hon. j. Thompson, etc,
etc., etc.--Sir: l have the honor to ac-
knowledge receipt of your several dispatches
of 4th, 9Th and 22d January, as well as OF
your full report, from hands of Col. Deni-
son. The President instructs me to for
ward to you the following directions on the
various points embraced in your correspond
enee: % s- SIC 81 ~
FirSt-In regard to our escaped prison.
ers, place in the hands of some person in
whom you have confidence such sum of
money not exceeding $4,000 as you may
deem necessary, to be applied solely to the
purpose of assisting such of our soldiers as
may need aid to return to the Confederacy.
No money is to be applied to any that do
not wish to return here.
Sec0Hd-In regard to DR.. S., the Presi-
dent does not wish any more money adj
vanced to him, nor does he desire that any
interference of any kind be undertaken by
the Doctor. We are determined not to
permit any just complaint of breach of
neutral rights by our authority or sanction.
Third-Pay over to the gentleman refer
red tOin my dispatch of Both December
last $4,000, TO be used by him at his dis
cretion in our service, and TO be accounted
for by him. Should he hereafter need
more money inform him that l will send it
- L., ,,Otifiad ~ his
FOlTth-ReServe in your own hands
such sum as you may need to pay your ex-
penses home
Fjfth-Remit the entire remainder IN
your hands to Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm
IL Co, Of Liverpool, to be placed to my
credit in separate account to be called
''Secret Service Account" Make this re-
mittance as soon as possible, and let me
know tine amount of it, as we are in press
ing need Of those funds already for imPor-
tant services there.
Sirth-Procure for us complete record
of Burley's case that we may make it the
basis of official action, from its beginning 10
the final judgment in appellate Court.
SCUenth-Return to Confederacy as soon
as you can. Your own discretion must be
exercised as to the best mode. | would,
however, suggest Havana, thence ito Mata-
moras by neutral vessel, thence through
Texas. This route is long, but is the only
one that can be considered entirely safe.
/ believe this covers all points. l am
brief, in order to conceal this
dispatch more securely. As soon as you
receive this publish in the New York Her.
aid an advertisement for one week as fol-
lows: ..t...-. -
"For Sale acres of Illinois prairie
lands. For description, price aud terms
apply by letterto
an. S. DoNELsoN, Chicago, ILL.,"
Fiji up the blank before the word 'acres"
with the number ofpounds sterling that you
remit to Fraser, Trenholm & Co. l am,
sir, very respectfully, your obedient SER
want, J. P. BENJAMIN,
Secretary of State.
At about the time of the reception of this
etter the Confederacy was obviously ex-
.inct.
1 can only judge as to the disposition of
he funds by the following extract from a
etter dispatched from Naples in the subse-
Iuent year by Mr.. Jacob Thompson to the
compiler of this record:
My DEAR SIR-I am Obliged to you for
your letter. / have been here and in Rome
or the last three months. 1 shall go from
lere to Alexandria and cannot say when l
,hall return. AS for myself, have not re-
aimed dollar OF Confederate money. Be
ore l left Montreal received oraerS from
to turn it over, and / retained a
portion at that time, but seeing Mr.. BeDja-
min afterward, and wishing to obtain his
'eceipt in full, turned over what was re-
aimed.
/ have his receipt for all money in my
lands, paid over in performance of orders
eceived from Richmond, prior to the eva
,uation of the same. While l feel indie |
pendent, yet, do not wish to be slandered |
md pursued.
travel very quietly and cheaply, and
confess 1 would somewhat prefer to return |
for in truth, find no such |
lace or country as that.
Your information from Montreal was |
uite acceptable. There are many fine
,eople there. l think of returning there |
ext fall after have finished my wandering
yer Europe. Very truly yours,
JACOB THOMPSON.
These letters are offered as the clearest |
roof of the motives under which Mr.. |
Thompson acted, and the strict fidelity with /
which be observed every official order in his
elicate position as Confederate agent in
canada. Something further may be stated
s to the three most serious charges that