Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar to Hamilton Fish, 26 February 1870

February 26, 1870. Hon. Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State. Sir: I have received your letter of the 21st inst., enclosing a bill of Patrick Short, the person employed by the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York as a detective in the recent Fenian movements on the frontier. I sent this bill to the U. S. Attorney, with a request for a more detailed statement of the kind and amount of service rendered by Mr. Short; and have received to day a letter from him of which I enclose a copy. From the statements contained in this letter it seems to me the bill of Mr. Short is reasonable in amount, and I am unable to see how the United States Attorney could have efficiently performed what was required of him without the employment of some such person as a detective. The bill of Mr. Short is returned. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, E. R. Hoar, Attorney General.