Secretary of War:
SIR: I arrived at, Knoxville about the 1st day of December, assumed command, and established my headquarters there. At that time Mr. W. G. Brownlow was absent from Knoxville, where he resides. Very soon some friend or friends of his approached me on the subject of his return to Knoxville, and I had several interviews with the son of Mr. Brownlow, who was interceding and acting for his father in the premises. During several days Mr. Brownlow's son was very importunate in calling upon me and making solicitations in behalf of his father of some sort or another. In the beginning, the letter of Mr. Brownlow to General Carroll, dated November 22, and received about the time of my arrival, was handed to me and discussed between myself and the son of Mr. Brownlow. In this letter Mr. Brownlow stated that he was willing and ready at any time to stand a trial upon any points before any civil tribunal, but sought protection from troops and armed men on a return to Knoxville, denying at the same time having had any connection with arming men or with armed bodies of men or with bridge-burners or bridge-burning. General Carroll also handed to me his reply to this letter.
In the several interviews between the son of Mr. Brownlow and one or more of his friends and myself Mr. Brownlow's innocence of any treasonable conduct was vouched as the basis of any disposition to be made towards him, and I stated to Mr. Brownlow's son, who was acting for his father, that if he came to Knoxville he must submit to the civil authorities.
Finally, about the 4th or 5th of December, I think, Mr. Baxter, a friend of Mr. Brownlow, together with his son, called upon me, and Mr. Baxter delivered to me an open letter from yourself, brought by him, dated November 20, and referring to Mr. Brownlow's departure beyond our lines. Thereupon, and on the solicitations made to me in behalf of Mr. Brownlow, I directed my assistant adjutant-general to inform Mr. Brownlow in writing that if he would come to Knoxville within a given time I would give him a passport and send him with an escort beyond our lines. I designed this escort to convey him directly through our lines, so that he could see nothing of our forces and fortifications. At the given time Mr. Brownlow came, and I made arrangements with him as to the time and manner of his departure, which were satisfactory to him. I designed sending him off the next day, but he desired to stay over a day, and on that day, before his departure, was arrested with a warrant by the civil authorities on a charge of treason.
Mr. Brownlow addressed a note to me, stating his arrest, and that he had come home upon my invitation, and claimed to be under my protection. As I had stated explicitly to Mr. Brownlow's son, who acted for his father, and who went after and did conduct his father into town, that if he came he must submit to the civil authorities, and as his innocence of any treasonable conduct was considered in the arrangements for him, I directed one of my aides to reply to his note to the effect that, in view of all the facts, I could not interfere with the civil authorities so as to protect him from an investigation by them of charges made in their tribunals against him, which I clearly understood from himself and his friends he would not seek to avoid.
Of course, if the civil authorities release Mr. Brownlow, I shall proceed at once to give him a passport and send him with an escort beyond our lines.
I remain, very respectfully, yours, &c,
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