Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session of the Thirty-ninth Congress, Part I

Mr. Seward to Sir F. Bruce

Department of State, Washington, August 24, 1866.

Sir: I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a letter of the 17th instant, which is addressed to this department by the wife of the Reverend David F. Lumsden, of Nunda, in the State of New York, from which it appears that he is now held in confinement at Toronto, Canada, on suspicion of having been a Fenian spy. Upon an examination of the list of prisoners who have been bailed, or have received permission to apply for bail, a copy of which you were good enough to leave with me a few days since, the name of the person above referred to does not appear therein. I will consequently thank you to invite the considerate attention of the Canadian government to the subject.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

The Hon. Sir Frederick W. A. Bruce, &c., &c., &c.

Mrs. Lumsden to Mr. Seward

Nunda, August 17, 1866.

Sir: I write you, asking, if consistent with the duties of your office, your interference in behalf of my husband, the Rev. Daniel F. Lumsden. He has been a prisoner, first at Brantford, now at Toronto, for eleven weeks, arrested on suspicion of being a Fenian spy. If he is, as I believe him to be, innocent of any complicity with the Fenians, I suppose it is the duty of his government to demand his release. The facts of his arrest as he has written me are these, though I would first say that no British subject could be more opposed to the Fenian movement, more bitter against the movers, than he has been from the first. He was in Buffalo on business with Bishop Coxe during the week of the raid into Canada, having little to do, waiting the action of the bishop in an ecclesiastical matter. On the Tuesday previous to the raid he crossed to Fort Erie to see the clergyman there, Rev. Mr. Greenham, and spent the night at the hotel there, forming the acquaintance of several gentlemen of the place, and in the evening returned to Buffalo. On Friday morning, on coming down from his room he heard that the Fenians had cross id the river and were in possession of Fort Erie, and in company with other of the citizens Walked down to the river to see what could be seen from this side, not then thinking of crossing; but seeing the Fenians directly in the rear, as it seemed to him, of Mr. Greenham’s house, he thought he might be of some service to him. He with this intention crossed and offered his assistance; but Mr. Greenham’s family had already crossed the river, and finding he could be of no assistance to him, he walked up the street, and finding the people much alarmed and some in real trouble, did what he could to relieve them. At one place, seeing a Fenian about to take a horse from a young lady, a Miss Thomas, he interfered and saved the horse. The mother, Mrs. Thomas, then asked his assistance or protection, being alone and shreatened with plunder. He says she held in her hand a piece of paper with a man’s name on it which she thought of no value. To make it more formidable, and to quiet her fears, he wrote something on it and signed his name to it. This paper, it seems, is used as evidence against him. Going on and finding a brother Scotchman in trouble, he attempted to relieve him. They had camped on part of Mr. Newbigging’s farm, and were plundering him, stealing his horses, &c. For him he offered to go into the Fenian camp and state the case to the commander. Did, and was taken by the commander O’Neil for the clergyman of the place. He regretted the plunder, but could not give up the horse. The plunder continuing, he went a second and a third time, getting a guard for the house, but rendering himself obnoxious to the Fenians, one of whom threatened to shoot him should he come again. Afterwards, however, on Mr. N.’s cattle being driven into camp, he went with Mr. N., and after O’Neil had ordered the cattle driven back he turned to him and said “You are interfering too much; my men have marked you; your life is in danger, and I advise you to leave at once”—himself guarding them out. After this he returned to Buffalo, and that morning after the Fenians had left the place he crossed to see how his friends had been treated through the night, and was then arrested, though not till he had been warned by Mr. Newbigging that the people were suspicious of him and advised by him to return to Buffalo.

If he is an innocent man it is time his government demanded his release. If they fancy they have any proof against him it is time they gave him a trial. He was not taken in arms against them nor with Fenians.

His family need him. We have four little ones and are entirely without means of support, besides being among strangers, for we had been here only two weeks when Mr. L. left home. For our support we have been entirely dependent upon my friends.

Asking your immediate attention to this, I remain, respectfully,

MRS. D. F. LUMSDEN.

Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.