Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-05-26
From the Missouri Democrat
An Extraordinary Statement.

Information of a peculiar and grave
character, intimately involving the
welfare Of the country, comes to us
from highly responsible source, and
is of such a nature that we should
not be justified in withholding it from
the public. Personally knowing moth
ing of the facts alleged, we give the
statement, in the language in which
il is made to US, as follows:
A contract for the surrender Of the
trans ns-Mssissippi country to the Uni
ted States was made between the Gov
ernment Of tho United States and
Kirby Smith, commanding the rebel
forces west of the Mississippi River,
Casey and Butler being the agents of
both parties in making the terms of
agreement. Casey is from Chicago,
and Butler was formerly State Treas
urcr of Illinois both are in the conf
dence Of the Administration.
"The information is derived direct
ly from Casey himself.
The terms of the contract were as
follows:
Kirby Smith agreed to retire from
the country with his army and then
disband it; he would destroy no prop
erty. but on the contrary, surrender
all Confederate cotton to the United
States Government.
"In order to increase the amount
to be thus given up, he was largely
engaged in its purchase from private
parties, paying for the same double
the amount offered by the agents of
the rebel government, and then brand.
ing it &C. S. A." that there might be
no difficulties in the way of confisca-
tion and seizure by the United States.
In return, the United States Gov
ernment agreed to guarantee the safe
exit from the country to Kirby Smith
and his officers, and pay for all cotton
surrendered twenty cents per pound
in foreign exchange with which
money Smith & Co., were to retire to
Europe. The Government also agreed
to respect private property and to
prevent devastation and plunder by
the troops in their march into the inte-
rior.
"Casey was asked whether private
parties might not engage in the busi-
ness of buying Smiths cotton, and re-
piled that the matter had gone too far
with the Government.
Brigadier Gen. Ellet. commanding
Marine Brigade, knew the fact Of this
arrangement. but it is not certain
whether Maj. Gen. Banks was aware
of it or not.
at appears that Gen. Banks and
Admiral Porter had colluded in gi.
gantic cotton speculation and swindle
They have been seizing all the cotton
they could lay their hands upon. and
if it belonged to private parties they
would brand it &C. 5. A. and then con
fscate it; they were also plundering
the country---in both acts grossly vi
olating the terms of the agreement be-
tween the United States Government
and Kirby Smith.
Kirby Smith seeing his hopes OF
retirement in ease and wealth thus
dashed, aud the cotton he had bought
with his private means, together with
his prospective riches thus snatched
from his grasp, was driven to madness
and desperation instead therefore
of retiring from the country, he was
making as much resistance as lay in
his power, and was burning the cot.
ton he would otherwise have gladly
delivered to the United States Gov.
ernment.
"Maj. Gen. Banks may have beer
ignorant of the contract aforesaid
but it appears that he had abandoned
his duties as commander Of an army
aud neglected the real points Of BIZ