, 1864-02-24
4 REMARKABLE DOCUMENT,
A REBEL VAIL OVER SCAR
CITY. OF PROVISIONS.

A ElENEL VAIL OVER SCAR
CITY. OF PROVISIONS.
Appeal for Food from Rebel Csm-
! mfbs1onefa.
The following remarkable circular. was
| found during the raid into Fiorida. Itshows
more clearly thnn anything heretofore deyel-
oPcd, the great scarcity Of food in the
South: "'
| CIRCULAR. ... !:
OFFICE OF Cn1Er CoMn1ssAar,
| Qu1Ecf, Fla, NOV. 2, 1868. =.
It has been subje:t Of anxious considera-
cause, expose to the people throughout the
State the present perilous condition of our
army. To do this through the public press
would point out the source of danger to our
enemies. 10 sec each one In person, or even
q sufficient number to effect the object con-
tcmplted, is impossible; yet the necessity
Of general and immediate action is imperi-
tire, to save our army, and With 1t our cause,
from disaster. The issues Of this contest are
| now transferred to the people ut home. If
they fail to do their duty, and sustain the
army In Its present position, It must fill buck.
the wave Of dcso1ation may roll even to the
shores Of tile Gulf aud the Atlantic. In dis
ciplinc, yalor, and the skill Of its leaders, our
| amy has proven more than match for the
enemy. But the best appointed army can
rot maintain 4! its position without support at
home The people should never suffer 1t to
be said that they valued their cattle and hogs,
their corn and money, moro thRn their liber-
ties and honor; and that they had to be
| eomrtattd to support IN army they had sent
TO battle in their defense. We hope it will
| not become Necessary to resort to Impress
T mrnf6 a faa1t1n ftf1ffn1r fnr r f4nfr
istence, and In defense Of their homes aud
| country aud its Institutions. We prefer her
TO appeal to them by every motive Of duty
and honor-by the love they bear their
! wives md daughters-by the memory OF the
; heroic dead, and the future glory and iude-
! rerdcnce Of their country, to conc to It's
/ rescue In the darkest hour Of its peril
! A country which can afford to send forth in
i Its defense the flower OF its youth and the
best OF its manhood can ntford and arc {sic)
| In honor bound to susrain them at any cost Of
!. money and property. They have sacrificed
/! md with their lives arc now defending every
+: tling We hold most eacred. Florida has done
=: nohly in this contest. Her SONS have achiey-
/ cd the. highest character for their State, and
; Won imperishable, honors for themselves.
!; These hraye men arc now suffering for want
| Of food. Not only the men from Florida, but
/ the whole army are In this condition. 'Our
:. honor ns. q people demands TINT VIC do our
!: duty to them: They must be fed. The fol-
lowing extracts from official letters in my
=; dition Of the armies. of Generals Bragg and
Bcauregard, and their gloomy prospect for
future supplies.
Major ]. i. Cumming, who supplies Gen.
Biaggs nrmy, writes:
Il " absolutely and ritay important that all the
cattle that can poEEttly be brought here ahal be
brought as promntly as possible. =. ;.1
| And again, on the 5th Of October, he says
cannot too strongly urge upon you the neces-
s,.y Ct sending ID foEwafd cattle pro@ptly: Il ap,
that We arc now iependear upon your State Tor.
Enow you Iii IeaTs no .tons 'ensa Ed
e1ticne so far as beer IL concerned In regard to
bacon, the stock Is about e1hausted-hcnEc beef
onr 9n5y hoRe .now ,hs psospest is ysty dis
having charge Of this mott important work to do
aA We can t9 exhaust our resources. and when We
rs. NC Iii 10 90 iii thst can be- done md oar U
c:uEc shall tail upon Us will rest tho responsible
1iy; therefore, let us employ ali the means At cur
command.
Again, on the 9th, he says:
Major l. caa explain to yo9 the great and alb
ioE. Major, assure 1ou that nearly all now de-
F And 20 on 'eS Oct: u, lie hi.s; says:
Capt ;l,o,, ToMnsend A; G s., having 1eaye q
hnre prevailed On him TO sec you, explain to
.uu my Strengthened condition, and tho imml-
nett danger OF our. army suffering for the want Of
And on Oct. 20, he wrote:
!" The army is to-day on half zattoos OF heel. and
lear in = tew days will have nothing but bread TO
ea,: Ihls Is tIulY DR. hou, Tith ,1s and can
10 do 10 to do all we can, and then will have u
clear conscience, no matter what the world may
Major Locke, Chief commissary Of Gcorgla,
wrote:
"1pray you Major to put crczy agency In mo-
ttou that sou can to Eend cattle, without mo- ;
ment's delay, toward the Georgia borders. The
lo9k alone to ron for cattle; those in Georgia arc
Major Guertn, Chief Commlssary Of South
Carolina, wrote:
'.Weare almost entirely dependent on Florlds,
the troops here should Sc subsieted."
Again, lie says:
"As it IL, our situation is full Of dancer from
want Of meat, and extraordinary efforts are requir-
cd 10 prevent disa.ter-''
And on Oct. ., he says:
ave havc now 4p,coo troops and 1abo1crs to sub
sist. The supply Of bacon on hand in tho city il
20 900 pounds, and the cattle furnished by the
State Is NOT one-ienth Of what Is required. NJ
arc greatly excited" -:
Major Millcn Of Savannah, on Oct. 10, says:
II assure you, Major, that the stoc, Of Bacon
and Beet for the Confederate stntes is now z
We esn saheF weeEs erss the ar
my in tho face. The handwriting is oa the wall"
On the 26th Of Oct, he says: s.;
From the best Information hare, the resources
armies are exhausted. This remark now applies
with equal 1orce to South Cnroltna and GeoTgia, .
and tho armies must hencetotth depend upon ihe
their daily or weekly collec1lons- Fhave exhaust
t,'s e ,he / eef cattle now Obliged to s stock
From these extracts you will perceive tl1at
there is too much cause for the deep solicl-
tude manifested By the writers. They should
excite the fears and apFrehensions Of every
lover Of his country. Truly the responsible.
ity u1on us is great, when we are expected
to feed these vast armies, whether the prodti-
GERS sell to us ornot! Tic slightest reflection
would teach any one that 1t Is impossible to
provide for sucl3 armies by impressments
alone. The people must chees7ully yield
tleir supplies, or make up their minds to sur
render their cause. It is tAeir csuse. /
How stnnds tie case? Tou know the ri
cholera and other causes have cut short the
prospect In Georgia and other States. It lis
aeceItained that the last years crop Of bacon
is about exhausted, and ills certain that the
crop will be much shorter than that of last
year. Now, two large armies look almost
6VlEl$ ~ I4VA40A ~ oAtFAt OA0 NAbAH Alt1Gtt
Of Subsistence. The entire surplus Of this
years crop Of bacon throughout the Confetl-
.cracy, eyen when husbanded with the utmost
economy, will be inadequate to tue demands
Of the Government. This makes it the duty
Of every man to economise as much as pos.
eible-to sell not pound to any one else,
while there is any dangcr Of our army suffer-
ing, and to pledge at such schedule rates his
entire surplus-bacon, beef, sugar, and syrup
to the Government / solemnly believe
oar eause i hopeless, ~a1ees our people eaa Be
1 hayc Thought 1t my duty to address this
confidential circular to the principal men in
the various sections of the State, and invoke
their aid and cooperation with the Pnrchas-
ing Commissaries and Government Agents
IN their districts in 1naugu gufating and putting
into operation some system by which our
armies can be more properly supplied, and
all Of our resources, which arc necessary, &C.
cnred to tho Government: The appeals to
me are more and moro urgent every day. The
pressure npon our State is very great Should
she how respond to the call made upon her
resources, as she has upon the b1oodiest bat
ue-delds OF tho var, the measure Of. ler glory
VIII be full. But II We withhold Our sup
plies, wa cripple our army, and render It i'm
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