[on patriotic stationery, with image of Lady Liberty and underneath Death to Traitors]
St. Louis Sept. 1st 1862
Sir: I think it my duty to inform you of certain facts which may be of great value to you, although having upwards of three months suspected to the truth, yet I have never mentioned a word untill now that I am certain that what at first I only suspected is a _fact_. A certain individual who by the name of _Absalom C. Grimes_ you will know only to well, and who has been in Prison five times, taken the _Oath_ twice, and who after escaping the fifth time, had the enclosed Note [not included] published in the Republican then went to Price's Army, and after staying sufficient time to think that our detectives had forgotten him (and it allmost seems so) has returned, and has been going back and forwards, for the last three months, acting as a Spy, and while our detectives, as before said, had as it seems forgotten him other eyes were watching, and have seen him very frequently at a Mrs. Vail who lives on Morgan St. Mrs. Vilson on the same st., and Mrs. Parker who lives on Gay St. two houses below fifteenth street has hold him concealed in her house she has also a son by the name of _Walter Parker_ whom she brought over from Ill. and kepes him concealed to avoid his enrollment. All the above named Ladies claim to be Union, and Mrs. Parker by pretence of being Union together with her daughters take in sewing from the Hall, and we may say steal the money from the poor Girls who work day after day, and do not get half the pay that these Secession Ladies do, who claim to be Union and at the same time giving protection to a _Rebel Spy_ and have done so for the last three months. This Mr. Grimes took dinner yesterday at Mrs. Vail, and I think can be found any time at the above named houses, all your officers know Mrs. Vail. She boasted yesterday that she has helped to free so many Rebels, and still she is a Union Lady. I believe St. Louis is full of such Union Ladies and men. I am nothing but a girl of sixteen, but I have and will allways try to help my country as much as is in my power, and while I am busy in one place trying to find out where the traitors are concealed I still do n ot forget it that there is another place equally as bad which needs a watchfull Eye and which I will soon report to you if I succeed as well as in this case.
Miss N. N.
Sept 2nd 1862
I hope you will see to this as soon as possible, for they already suspect something wrong.
--Vicki Betts