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January 24, 1862, a letter was received at the Department of State from the Post-Office Department inclosing a letter written by W. I. Rasin, dated as follows: "Headquarters Second Maryland Regiment Volunteers, C. S. Army, Camp Lowe, two miles from Richmond, Va., October 29, 1861." The following extracts from the letter show the character and rebel sympathy of the writer, viz: * * * I hope John you will not let the simple fact of my being a rebel turn the friendship you once had for me to hatred as it has done nearly all of those in the North who were once my friends. * * * If you should be so foolish as to join Lincoln's army never come to Virginia or Maryland.
WILLIAM I. RASIN,
Basin was arrested at Unionville, Md., about the 1st of February, 1862, by a Government agent acting under orders received from the Department of State. The Government officer in his report of his arrest of Rasin states that no letters or papers of importance were found in his possession. * * * Rasin admits that he wrote this letter (meaning the letter above alluded to). The Secretary of State directed Rasin to be placed in the custody of Brigadier-General Porter, provost-marshal of Washington, Febrnary 4, 1862. The said William I. Rasin remained in custody at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington Febrnary 15, 1862, when in conformity with the order of the War Department of the preceding day he was transferred to the charge of that Department.
SOURCE: Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series 2, Volume 2, pg. 342.
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