The Richmond palladium., 1863-10-02
From the Cincinnati Ga.stte
AGENT FOR THE REBELS.
Interesting correspondence on the
Subject.

! In the early stages Of the rebellion. afteI
Sou'h Carolina had passed her secession or
dinanee. and the other Confederate state.
had initiated secession measures, and the
forts, arsenas aud Custom Houses had
been seized, but while yet most of the con
spiraIors held their seats in Congress, and
there prosecuted the plot, the folio wing es
ter from Mr.. Nallandgham vas received by
the house of B. Kuridge & Co. OF this
city. highly honorable firm. doin a large
business in the gun trade. and, previous 10
the rebellion, having T. heavy trade At the
South
"HoUsE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
WAsHINGroN. D c.,
January 10th. 1868
t" Kittridge s. Co. Cincinnati, Ohio
Gents A friend of niue. member OF
the House. desires to purchase seventy five
or more MIME muske,s of the same kind
you furnished Colonel King. of Dayton. for
the Zouave Guards, and at the some price,
50. II you can furnish seventy five, OF
perhaps a good many more. send me one
here by express as sample. at once.
''Very truly.
&C. L. VALLANDIGHAM.
"P. s. How about the accoutrementsF
The intelligent reader will notice the
comprehensive points in this .os.enta,iously
casual and lsboriously off hand note. The
firm which has handed us this letter ap-
pend the following explanation:
CIScINNArI. Sept. II.
:. Eds. GdztHe We think the inclosed
letter, with a word of explanation. will con
vince any one who at present doubts the
fact tha, Vallandigham is really engaged for
the rebel cause.
FIRST, it must be born in mind that whe n
this rebellion broke out, We bad the reputa-
ton OF being largely engaged in supplying
arms TO the South. 1t must also be borne
in mind that for some time after the rebel
lion was in progress. by the river and other
wise, this city was unrestricted by direct
military or civil orders from trading with
the South. Then, we ask, what friend of
Vallandigham. who was a member of the
House, would have employed him to make
this negotiation with US? Is there any
other ,air presumption than that he was a
Southern member If this member was a
Northern man, would be have applied to
Vallandigham for information, or would
either he or vallandigham applied to US in
stead OF applying to the New York and
Philadelphia dealers
cit will be observed that seventy FIVE
guns or more, and then 10 imply large
transaction. perhaps good many more
Our Mr.. Kittridge has been engaged in the
gun trade in New Orleans since 1852
And So general was the belief that we were
| supplying arms TO The South. that we re-
ceivet very large number Of orders daily
from the slave states, so large that we were
obliged to employ special correspondent to
answer such letters. When il was app"r
ent that we could not openly ship arms
South, We we're asked to smuggle in various
ways. such as to pack army revolvers with
dry goods To pack them in tin cases. put
the tin cases in lard. oil barrels. and then
ell the barrels with oil, etc, etc. Gres.
faith was placed in both our inclination and
ability to get the arms through iu the most
unlimited quantity, even long after the fall
of Fort Sumter. Especially when We re-
ceived Vallandigham's letter. it was the cur
rent belief. both North and South, that We
we're ready for unlimited negotiations of this
character. The Gazette and other papers
had long articles on the enormity. The In
diana legislature thought it a fit matter FOL
special legislation, until finally a mob came
to destroy our stock"