The Clerk read as follows: The ComMilAffrs to whom was referred House bill No. 275.entitled A bill for the reliefof Ellen Sanderson.widow of John P. Sander son.the provost marshal generalof Missouri." have had that subject under consideration and have directedmeto return the same to the House, and recommendits $assagein the following report: infCaonlotrnye. l J. Sanderson. 13 thU.S. was assignedto duty as provost marsh deptof Missouri. on the 4th of March. 1864. Soon thereafter he obtained information from various sourcesof the existenceof a secretorganization in the State of Missouri. which had beeninstituted by the rebel General Price, the objectbeing tosu ply his armywith thenocessary mnnitionsefwar. A out the same time he was also informed that this secret 0 organization not only existed in Missouri but in n"early all of the WesternStates. It was called the rder of American Knights." and its true oh'oot wastose embarrass by every possible means.the ov tohrneymmeingthint istuscacteteemdipntteoaatsn.lpisrheisnsgthaerncobretlhliwone.stt heartn confederacy and thereby also secure to the southern States their independence.The importance of ather owuitghh tinhveeastipgraotvioanl oafnd the expect wasndaipnp agreennet and a number of detectives were employed by Colonel Sandersun to ferret it out. c itTyliocts‘eStd.eLoteucisti.vaensdwerejit 1st set to operatein the the information already reccived was morethan contrmed b their statements. They reportedthattheorcerhad eenestablishedin nearly every scan in the western States and that its obectwas really the formation of a northwesterncon ederaey: that the membershipthereof exceeded in number half a million men and nearly2/3rds of who were armed; that the order had its grand commander. State commanders and other subordinate otfieers; that the memberswere sworn to obeythe orders of their superior officers.no matter what the nature of the order might be: and that the member Ihll: was daily increasing and arms were being furnis ed as rapidly aspossiblefor the useof thosevnth out them. whDeetshierirntgetorebperesstiellntfautritohnesrmi and foer bmye the amndemtobkenrosiwn StLouis were correct. several detectives wero' in May. 1864s.entby Colonel Sandersonon tours ot inspoction: one through Missouri. anotherthrough Illinois and nether through the States of phio and In di one a.sufficient number of the detectives remaining on duty in StLouis. Daily reportswere received from these detectives giving in all the result of their observations; and though at different points from each other. their reports corroborated each other and verified the pre. vious representations. They reported that the order existedin eachof thoseStates. The membership in Missouri was 30,000 men; in IlllliOlSftfle 100and 25,000men: in Indiana 100,000 men: in Ohio, the same; in Kentucky about 25,000 men: and about 30,000menin the balaneeof the western States. After a while they reported that thename of the order had been changed from that of “American Knights” to the “Sons of Liberty;" that most of the members were armed: and that unlessprompt and decisive action was taken on the part of the covernment‘byexposingboth the order and its principles. their successin buildingu a northwestern confederacy could not heprevente. All the information which had been received by Colonel Sanderson relative to this ordei w as carefully compiled and transmittedby him. With a report thereon.to the commanding General about themi (lie of June, 1864.This repo was forwarded by the latter to President Lincoln fo his action. In the carly part of July. 1864a, nabstractof thatre art and its accompanying documents was madeby loncl Sanderson and furnished to the press which. with the expand mado at Indianii dfis about the same time, completely destroyed the electiveucssof theorder. For several weeksafter the completion of his 1st report.a large amount of additional information had accumulated. Wmhained hiiwigagseanlseorafol.rwTahrids.edtowgieththaerrWepiothrt, tthoe the comport.eovcred over a renm lirst re embracing considerable proinf tle'odolmscaiitptpear.peKr.nboewsiidnegs that strict secrecy was essential to the successof this investigation.lic took uponhimself.in additiontohit regular duties as provost marshal General.the super intending of the lIlVcstiiflltlOll. To preventsuspicion against his detectives who were gciicrall supposed to he rebels their reports were made oil or ate at night or vcryenrly in the morning.sothat they could not be seen entering the provost marshal generafs office. From the middle of March until July thero were constantly several detectives on duty in StLouis and it wasgenerally midnight before their reportswere madeand written out y Colopel Sander son. Their reports were then t on byhimt same eveningfor the inspection of the commandin general and after a consultation for one, two an even 3 hours and the lane for the next day agreed upon.he returned to is office to rest.obtaining very seldomover 4 hours‘ slecp. About the time that his1st report was finished his health gradually began to fail, and he was advised by his physician and his associateofficers to accept of a proffered leave of absence. Or if he would not do that to give up the night work which he was performing would not accept the leave and remained at his post still continuing his evening labors though constantly remonstriited with for doing so. His evenings after the finishing of his report. were devotedto collecting and arranging that portion of the testimon which could he used a aipst those persons who had been arrested in Miss riat their trial before a military commission. By the 1st of Scptember. 186 1h.ehad collected such testimony as was necessary and had commenced preparing the charges against these parties when he was taken so ill as to prevent him continuing his work and he was carried fromhis officeto his residence at winhviecshtipglaateieonhe had remained but onenight since hil of the conspiracy. What little in edical skill could then do was promptly done. at it was apparent to all that the continuous night ther Performed by hiin in addition to his daily duties.from al, the beginning of March till September had so shattered his constitution that not even medical assistance could be of any avail. He gradually became weaker and weaker from that time until the middle of Oetober.1864 when his system yielded to the heavy burden and he died. I No one doubted that he lost his life in this great effort to savehis Government.