J. Winslow Ayer to Richard Yates

Chicago Dec 2 1864

To His Excellency Gov. Yates - Sir -

Some 4 mos. ago I called upon you with a letter from Hon I. N. Arnold & also from W. H. Rand Propr. Tribune to inform you that I had obtained a key which would disclose to the Government what appeared to be & whichhas proved to be a fearful conspiracy which threatened the most disastrous results to the country.

To unravel the plot and to lay bare to the authorities the extent of the treasonable design was a work as arduous & complicated as it was full of peril. Every avenue of information was apparently securely guarded & death was the penalty for exposing the infamous intent of the traitors. Resolved to aid the Government to the extent of my ability at whatever sacrifice I left my business & consulted you in Springfield. You gave me patient attention, approved my motives, purposes & acts & advised me to press forward in the work I had undertaken. I had learned enough to fully satisfy me that the intention of the "order" or class of persons engaged in this gigantic scheme of treason was to aid the Southern Rebels, to create a further secession & to establish a northwestern Confederacy or to carry the election by arms. You gave me a letter to Gen. Paine then in command of this Milty Dept. He was gratified & stated that my services would be gratefully appreciated by the Government & placed me in communication with Col B J Sweet Commanding Camp Douglas who requested me forthwith to enter upon the details of my plan of service. I felt certain that any great or important service would be appreciated especially when known to such sources.

For 4 mos. by day & by night I have labored unremittingly for the Government. I employed at my own expense such detectives

as I needed and defrayed other incidental expences from my private funds.

With what success I have labored the daily prints have already informed you. I have not rested from my work and shall not till northern rebels are paralyzed so effectually that they cannot again rise in defiance of the Government. I have already the consciousness of having saved Chicago from ashes and its citizens from wholesale slaughter by apprising the Commandant of this Post (Col Sweet) of the movement to liberate theprisoners in Camp Douglas & placed with him information which led to the discovery of an immense number of fire arms (loaded & capped) with which it was proposed to arm the prisoners when released & I made out the list from which the most important arrests have been made. I have thus given into his custody the Grand & Vice Grand Commanders of the Sons of Liberty, have given him two Brig. Generals & other equally dangerous characters - finally have broken up the dangerous organization in our State. I have been the means of the seizure of thousands of dollars worth of arms & ammunition. I have never hessitated when duty called me & have often labored all night in the prosecution of my plans - often to the detriment of my health & business. It would be rashness in me to allow my friends (Mr. Rand, Col Sweet Gen Paine or Your Excellency) the only persons who know anything of the services I have rendered, to inform the public - it would be certain destruction of my little property and assassination - this I know.

For the four months of the most exciting, arduous & perilous work I have ever done I have received no recognition whatever beyond the

gratitude of Col Sweet who fully appreciates what I have done & to whom I refer Your Excellency should you feel interested in knowing the consequences of your letter to Gen Paine. I have expended several hundred dollars from my own purse (never a dollar from any other source) in incidental matters connected with the work besides taking my time from my own pursuits I did not go into this thing for money, for office nor for fame - my practice afforded me an income & as to fame I knew it would be suicide to suffer my name to be known in the matter for years to come, but I have felt that while others share the honors & recompense of ferreting out & crushing this great conspiracy, I wish you to know what I have done & that the General Government may know it also. Should it be deemed by you expedient to recommend to the proper authorities refunding such money as I have expended for the work or any recognition of my services by the State or General Government without bringing my name before the public I should feel that what I have done is appreciated. Thus far I have had no official document or other instrument to distinguish me from a common informer & spy & I feel that the task is important enough to warrant some official recognition of the service. My vigilance & best efforts shall be employed while there are treason plotters in our midst & no consideration shall deter me from doing my whole duty & will at least have the pleasure of knowing that I have done something toward saving the Old Flag from desecration in the north west and the prevention of bloodshed.

Pardon so long a letter. I wished you to know the facts.

Your obt Servant

J. Winslow Ayer M.D.

(File)

Ayer J. Winslow MD

Chicago Dec 2nd 1864

Refers to his calling on you 4 months ago with letters from J N Arnold and W H Rand in referrence to his information of the plans of treasonable parties in the north and that he told you then he had a Key to unravel what appeared to be & what has since proven to be a fearful conspiracy against the Govt. - During the last four months he has labored arduously day & night & employed several detective & spent three or four hundred Dollars to carry out his plans in the work Has had the assistance of Col. Sweet comd'g Camp Douglas - He embarked in the enterprise purely through patriotic motives & not for money, office or fame. But now that it is over and that his plans have proven so successful - he having been the means of saving Chicago from Ruin, and the cause of the arrest of the leading members of Sons of Liberty and the effectual ruin of that organization in the state &c - he thinks that his services should be made known to the general Government and that he be empowered officially to continue in the work of detecting such schemes - and be reimbursed with the money which he has spent so that he may know his services are appreciated.