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Baltimore Maryland
March 3rd 1868
General
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2d inst. stating that you are instructed by General Howard to investigate certain matters concerning the loss of Army Discharges and directing me to "make an Official statement to you of all the circumstances which are known to me connected with the subject in question"
In compliance with which I have the honor to state that immediately upon the departure of Major F.C. Von Schirach from this office, General Gregory placed me, or rather left mem in charge of the Claim Division for Maryland and Delaware. Among the papers and records of the Claim Division were a number of Army and Navy Discharge Certificates which had been left by the owners, with this Bureau to aid in the prosecution of their claims for Government and State Bounty. These discharges I found in a drawer of the desk, occupied by Major Von Schirach in which drawer they had always been kept by