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John A. Dix letter August 11, 1862

Headquarters, Fort Monroe, Va., August 11, 1862.
Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War.
Sir : Captain Milward, of the volunteers, will deliver to you a person who has for six months or more been in Baltimore and this vicinity in the uniform of a British naval officer. He calls himself Lieutenant Edenborough and is no doubt a British subject. The captain of the British steamer Jason advised me the day before yesterday that he was not an officer in the British Navy. About ten days ago I permitted him to go up the James River as a visitor by invitation to the commanding officer of one of our gun-boats. Thence he went on shore at Harrison's Landing. On his return to Norfolk he said to General Viele and others that he had been to Richmond. I doubt very much whether this be so. He is an impostor and is not to be believed in anything. He admits that he made to General Viele the statement referred to, and said that he was the bearer of dispatches but I think his object was to give himself importance. The British officers have been deceived by him, and as he was admitted on board their vessels he was not distrusted by us. He was arrested by General Viele yesterday at Norfolk. I was awaiting his return to arrest him here and I send him to you for such disposition as you may think proper to make of him. He has not as I can learn been guilty of any act hostile to the United States. His offense consists in being in this vicinity as he has been in Maryland in a false character and therefore a suspicious person. For this reason I send him away, and as he is supposed to be a British subject I have thought it best to place him at the disposal of the Government.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN A. DIX,
Major- General,

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Source of Information

55th Congress 3d Session House of Representatives Document No. 284
The War of the Rebellion: A compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
Published under the direction of the Hon. Russell A. Alger, Secretary of War,
By Col. Fred C. Ainsworth, U.S. Army, Mr. Leslie J. Perry, Civilian Expert, and Mr. Joseph W. Kirkley, Civilian Expert, Board of Publication.
Series II – Volume IV
Washington: Government printing office.
1899