This information is on the Maury brothers who were arrested for carrying letters to the southern states at the time of the civil war. The brothers were British subjects, this information is to help those in England and the United States know more about their ancestors. This information will be taken from army reports they be full reports to given the best information.
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U. S. MARSHAL'S OFFICE, Cleveland, November 7, 1861.
Honorable W. H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington.
SIR: Referring to the telegraphic dispatch I had the honor to send you of this date and in further to say that about the 28th of October a trunk or valise belonging to one Rutson Maury was seized by the inspector of the revenue at this place containing (as then disclosed) some seventy-nine or eighty letters directed to persons at various points and places in the States in rebellion against the Government. On the 2nd instant M. F. Maury passed through here on his way Soutyh and his trunk was also seized by the inspector. In it were found twenty packages of letters having a destination beyond the lines of the Government forces, the number estimated at from 600 to 700. Both trunks are still held, information having been filed and proceedings commenced for confiscation under the act of Congress of July 13, 1861, and now remain in my hands undeer process of attachment duly issued.
On a close investigation a secret pocket was found in R. Maury's valise in which were stowed about 200 more letters having destination like those mentioned above, among which I found one unsealed addressed to "James Maury, New Orleans," informing him that the writer would be in New Orleans November 8, and ready to leave on the succeeding 11th, to which were appended the words "You understand," signed "M. F. M. " I was therefore led to conclude that both Maurys-who I learn are brothers-were jointly engaged in the regular and systematic transmission of information by letters and perhaps otherwise across the lines of our armies, and made such arrangements as were intended to secure the persons of either or both of them should they to found in my district. This I have been induced to believe was my official duty and in accordance with the desire of the government as expressed in the telegraphic circular of the honorable Postmaster-General under date of----August, in which he says, "The Presidnet * * * directs that his proclamation of the 16th instant interdicting commercial intercourse with the South shall be applied also to correspondence; and wherein he directs the arrest of any person who after this order shall receive letters for transmission to or from said States, &c. " Under these circumstances it was that I respectfully asked the instructions of the Government as to what disposition to make of M. F. Maury, who is in my custody without a formal warrant. Permit me to add that all the letters taken as above stated have been duly forwarded to Washington pursuant to the instructions of the Postmaster-General.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
EARL BILL,
U. S. Marshal.
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U. S. MARSHAL'S OFFICE, B19, 1861.
Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
SIR: I have the honor to report that * * * Matthew F. Maury, who was committed to Fort Independence on Monday last, but for whom no arrangements had been made, was delivered to me by Lieutenant-Colonel McPherson, in command there, and transferred by me to Fort Warren. Colonel McPherson is about to leave for the West where he is ordered to report to General Halleck, and as his absence will leave the fort without an officer the obtained General Butler's order for the transfer of Maury to Fort Warren, and I transferred him accordingly. * * *
Your obedient servant,
JOHN S. KEYES,
U. S. Marshal.
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BOSTON, November 22, 1861.
Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington.
DEAR SIR: In compliance with the request of your Department please find below the information in reference to the Maurys that I have been able to obtain for you.
Rutson Maury, Jr., is some twenty-eight or thirty years of age, and has been engaged in business for the last few years in Galveston, Tex. He has been one of the partners of the firm of Maury & Wilder, of Galveston, Tex., cotton buyers. Since the beginning of the difficulties with the South Maury has freely expressed his sympathy with and confidence in the success of the rebelion. About the 16th of April last (1861) he left Galveston and went to Montgomery, Ala., and as he stated saw the officers of the rebel government and for purposes which he did not he said wish to have known. He went I think from there to Charleston, S. C., and thence to Washington and New York. He was North until about May 6 when he left Boston and New York for Washington and the South. He stated in the cars on his way that if he carried through certain matters for the South that he had in his charge he was to receive $500 and his expenses paid, and he sent through all his luggage consisting of several trunks by express taking nothing with himself but a small satchel. He did not, however, return to Galveston, but was at the South - in New Orleans, Mobile and other places - and during the month of August was at Cullum's Springs, Chostaw County, Ala.
In September he went to Galveston, and from there back to New Orleans and then started North. He came by the way of Louisville and arrived here probably not far from the 10th or 12th of October. He stated to various parties that he brought on letters from the South - over a thousand - protected by the consular seal of British Consul Mure, of New Orleans. He delivered a great many letters, and stated in my presence that he forwarded English letters that he brought through. He delivered letters to Lewis L. Squier or Squires, but whether political or not I do not know - probably not, however. He delivered letters and made statemens to John P. Ritter, Numbers 132 Brodway, New York City. He told Mr. Ritter how he brought the letters from New Orleans; of the abuse of the consul's seal. He said he was on his journey stopped by the officials; paid them $100 to permit him to taken his packages through.
His arrangements for correspondence have been made, and the letters are to come to the care of or under cover to Henry C. Wainwright, of Boston, as I have suggested in a previous letter to the Post-Office Department, and to Mr. Jonathan Amory, U. S. dispatch agent here. And I think it all important that their contents should be known to the Government. The other letter will convey all the information upoon this point that I have.
The family consists of brothers James Maury, of New Orleans; Rutson Maury, Jr., now under arrest; William Maury, of the firm of Maury & Hogg, of New Orleans; Matthew F. Maury, clerk for James Rareshide, of New Orleans, also under arrest; Walker Maury, clerk for Maury Bros., New York (Maury Bros. are uncles), and another brother who is preparing for some profession in New York. As to what Maury undertook to carry South in the shape of letters, correspondence, &c., the Department of course have the best information in the letters themselves
Mr. Wilder, of the firm of Maury & Wilder, is here in Boston and a native of Massachusetts, his farther being a manufacturer in the town of Lancaster, Mass. He can be seen at my office at any time and will give with pleasure any information in this or any matter that will assist the Goverment. He has been to Washington once in reference to affairs in Texas and will probably be on again before long. The firm of Maury & Wilder had all their property that is left them in the shape of cotton in the hands of George M. Barnard, of Boston, and one small consignment to Liverpool. The debts here will probably exhaust the funds if a settlement is ever made and I am not aware that Maury has any other pecuniary interest in any matters that the Government can reach. Mr. Wainwright (Henry C.) is acting as receive for the firm and for that reason and his previous acquaintance probably he acted as the agent for receiving and transmitting Maury's correspondence. Mr. Wainwright says he never directed or requested the letters forwarded to him for the Maurys by the Post-Office Department and if he did of course that Department has his letter or letters on file. It may be that Maury signed his name without his knowledge or authority. I should like to know the facts. Will you see how the matter is in the Post-Office Department?
Yours, truly,
WM. L. BURT.
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 5, 1861.
Right Honorable Lord LYONS, &c.
MY LORD: I have the honor of replying to your lordship's note of the 3rd instant which relates to the cases of Rutson Maury and Matthew F. Maury.
These persons were arrested for having passed the lines of the army without permission of the authorities of the United States and in the act of preparing for again crossing the same lines without such authority, and in direct violation of well-known regulations established by the Government.
They were combined in business and that business was the carrying for hire of correspondence between insurgent citizens and their confederates in the United States and in Europe. On examination it was found that this correspondence was secreted with fraudulent design to escape exposure. Much of the correspondence was found to have for its objects, first, premeditated violation of the blockade; second, the treasonable supply of the insurgents with arms and munitions of war.
The illegal and treasonable partices in which they were engaged must be prevented. These persons are detained with that view.
I have inquired concerning the trunk of Matthew F. Maury and I learn that it is libeled with a view to the confiscation of the trunk itself and its contents by judicial proceeding in the State of Ohio.
I regret exceedingly that these young men have by such palpable acts of hostility to the United States rendered it necessary for the public safety that they be detained in custody. It is proper to say that the authorities in whose custody they are were early instructed to supply them with whatever of clothing and other things should be necessary for their comfort.
I have the honor to be, with high consideration, your lordship's obedient servant,
WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 5, 1861.
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Right Honorable Lord LYONS, &c.
MY LORD: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of yesterday relative to the case of Mr. Rutson Maury, a British subject confined as a political prisoner in Fort Lafayette and to inform you in reply that I see nothing in it to alter the conclusion come to on the subject in my previous note to you of this date.
I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to your lordship the assurance of my high consideration.
WILLIAM H. SEWARD.
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Fxtact of a letter from Mr. Matthew F. Maury to Lort Lyons, dated Fort Warren, January 30, 1862.
* * * May I ask your lordship to propose to him (Mr. Seward) to grant me a release upon condition that I return to England within a week or thereabout from my discharge, according to the sailing of the steamer, and that I engage on parole of honor to hold no communication with the Southern States or do anything hostile to the United States in the interim. It is but three weeks since one of my fellow-prisoners, Mr. D. C. Lowber, of New Orleans, was released upon precisely the terms thus offered. * * *
U. S. MARSHAL'S OFFICE, Cleveland, January 31, 1862.
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NEW YORK, February 12, 1862.
F. W. SEWARD, Assistant Secretary of State.
SIR: In pursuance of your instructions of the 5th instant I visited Fort Lafayette and had an interview with Mr. Rutson Maury, a prisoner in that fortress. I have only the man's appearance and manner to guide me to a conclusion in his case. He is undoubtedly a British subject. He tells a story that does not in any respect impeach itself and altogether impresses me as a man to believe. His family (wife and child) are in Alabama and he wishes to go there or to take measures to bring them to him, preferring as I see the former. I think he may be trusted to observe the conditions of any parole you may require and recommend the experiment. If the conditions are that he remain at the North I hope he will be allowed such degree of liberty in correspondence as shall permit him to call his family to him. If he is required to remain here separate from his family there will be a motive constantly operating to induce him to evade his parole. Moreover he should have his family with him if it is possible.
Yours, respectfully,
S. C. HAWLEY.
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BRITISH LEGATION,] Washington, December 3, 1861.
Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c.
SIR: The open letters which you were so good as to send to me with your informal note of the 30th ultimo were from Mr. Rutson Maury and Mr. Matthew F. Maury, two brothers, who are detained as political prisoners in Fort Lafayette.
On the case of Mr. Rutson Maury I have already had the honor to communicate with you.
Mr. Matthew F. Maury states that he belives that the offense for which he is imprisoned is that of carrying letters between the Northern and the Southern States. He declares that the letters of which he took charge with this object were simply private letters; that he practiced no concealment about them and that he was not conscious that in carrying them he was committing an act contrary to law. I do myself the honor to communicate these statements to you in the hope that they will receive due attention in the consideration of the case. Mr. Matthew F. Maury particularly requests that his trunk containing his personal effects, which appears to have been detained at Cleveland, may be restored to him. I write of course under the impression that Mr. Matthew F. Maury, as well as his brother, Mr. Rutson Maury, is a British subject who has not become a citizen of the United States.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient humble servant, LYONS.
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NEW YORK, January 3, 1862.
Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington.
SIR: I respectfully beg your attention to the following statement in behalf of my brothers, Rutson Maury, Jr., and Matthew F. Maury, who were arrested last October at Cleveland, Ohio, for carrying letters to the South: Rutson Maury, Jr., was placed in Fort Lafayette on the 10th of November where he has since remained. Rheumatism and influenza to both of which he is subject in aggravated forms are preying upon his bodily health. In addition to these mental anxiety caused by the destitute condition of his wife and child in Alabama renders his captivity hard to be borne. Matthew F. Maury was conveyed to Fort Lafayette on the 9th of November and transferred thence on the 16th to Fort Warren, where he is still. An intestine disease contracted two years ago in New Orleans and of which his plysicians affirmed he ought according to the laws of nature to have died now threatens him again. We have lately heard of the death of the lady to whom he was engaged in marriage. A hopeless depression of spirits acting upon a body infirm and naturally unable from long residence in the South to endure the rigor of a Northern climate makes his confinement trying indeed.
The offense of which they are guilty is carrying letters. I do assure you they took particular care so far as I know and verily believe that neither treason nor political discussion should be contained in them. To say the very least it was their known interest so to do. Every letter was either open or had the words "open if necessary" written upon it.
In fine I beg to remind you of your friendship for my mother. Sarah Mytton Maury, in the years 1845 and 1846, and deigning to hope that such remembrance may descend to her sons and induce you to grant their release I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
WALKER MAURY.
FORT LAFAYETTE, New York Harbor, January 24, 1862.
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