John Bigelow to Monsieur Drouyn de Lhuys, August 11, 1865

Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys

Sir: I have the honor to enclose a communication which reached the United States consulate at Paris, duly forwarded by the French military authorities, from Mr. Jean Baptiste Cochener, now in confinement in the military prison at Metz, to which I beg your excellency’s attention.

Mr. Cochener represents that he is a native of Uni, in the department of the Meuse; that he left France at the age of seventeen years, and went to the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen, and whence, after a residence of some fourteen years, he returned to France in July last, at the request of his dying mother, leaving his four children in the United States, where he intended shortly to return. He further represents that he has all the papers requisite to establish the fact of his being a citizen of the United States, but that, on being denounced as not having submitted to the conscription, he was arrested at Van Couleur and thrown into the military prison of Metz, where he is awaiting judgment.

I beg your excellency will take an early opportunity of satisfying yourself of the correctness of these allegations, and, if established, that no time may be lost in restoring to Cochener the privileges and immunities to which he may be entitled in France as a citizen of the United States.

I beg your excellency will accept assurances of the high consideration with which I have the honor to be, your very obedient and very humble servant,