Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward
Sir: I have received Mr. Hunter’s despatch No. 375, enclosing the latest intelligence from General Weitzel’s command, in possession of the Secretary of War at its date, and also his telegram of the 20th of January, transmitted to me through Mr. Derby, the despatch agent at New York.
I sent the telegram to M. Drouyn de L’huys on Tuesday, and on Wednesday had occasion to call upon him. * * * * *
The following day I was again at the ministry of foreign affairs, when M. Drouyn de Lhuys read to me a despatch he had just received from the Marquis de Montholon, giving the result of his interview with Mr. Hunter, after the despatches from General Sheridan to General Grant in reference to the pillage of Bagdad had reached the State Department. A copy of that despatch appears in the Moniteur this morning. That and the abstract of my communications upon the same subject which appeared in some of the papers, yesterday, have given the situation a much less serious aspect than it presented to the French public before.
We hear to-day of your arrival, on the 20th ultimo, at Havana, and that General Crawford has been arrested.
I am, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.