Savannah morning news., 1885-11-27
,onuRAL PORTER ON GEN.
BANKS.
~sa Federal Army az Cotton Raiders in
the Red River Valley.


+, his new book Admiral Porter relates
..n,o oueer things about Gen. Banks Red
over expedition, He says,
vas a great marplot on this expedi-
., in some respects; l was not let into
no secrets and was very much like bull
y. china shop-constantly running foul
sone niece of crockery and smashing
was so stupid could not be made to
'15arstand how an army could enter an
enemy's country and make terms with
sir, IN purchase all the cotton, and let it
~ ont OF his country without struggle
sonreyent it. don't know how itwas that
nos kent in the dark. There were lots
= roonle who seemed to have been let
I,d the secret-fellOws who came all
,Ia wav from Washington with per-
nits to ''trade within the enemy's
lines" H.. .ho;. ,,ou,,,;., e., ,oo.
,ToiId examine them, indorse on the
hoax mot approved" and sign my name
70 II They would then tell me in
sjrnontlv that they had a steamer at the
ae,th Of the Red River full of merchant
mo articles. the list of which when eXa-
mined would be found to include military
hoots. slouch hats, gray cloth, quinine,
oCIv traders we allowed were fellows
,ritb muskets in their hands. One fellow
,ont me up word that he would shave me
ont of that in ten days. 1 sent a vessel
IN chase of him with orders to take his
raeseI and cargo before the court of con-
fscation, but he was too fast. He was up
at St. Louis, had transferred his cargo
and hired out to the government before
4 the cunboat found him. l was powerless
20 II ina From
coaching the enemy. Steamers would
come up under army protection full Of
cotton speculatOTs, among whom were in
4 clnded eX-GoVernOrs OF States, eX-Sena-
a tors relatives OF people IN Washington,
n rich merchants from New Orleans, their
name was legion.
wonder il Sherman would have car
ried on war in that way? l would bet
n $1,000 he would have hung some Of those
fellows.
This army had 200 wagons, instead of
marching on to Shreveport, they were en-
nIovpd at Alexandria hauling cotton,
which was stored ready for shipping to
New Orleans. We went into elections as
"a far as the army authority could reach, in
stead Of marching off, while Gen. A. j..
81 Smith and Gen. Mower w ere chating at
this kind of war and volunteering to go
ahead ana capture Shreveport in a week.
have stopped at Alexandria unless for a
snort time to hang the cotton spectators
and such like.
Even the navy became demoralized.
We had regular Instructions to seize the
tnemV's cotton whenever we could ind
it, and have it condemned before the Ad-
miraltv COurt-enemy's cOttOn---includ-
ing all marked &c. S. A." An immense
amount of cotton had been so marked by
tho hafOTn
the capture OF New Orleans, with the
expectation of shipping it abroad, and
now came this new scheme for getting all
the cotton TO the looms Of the North.
Naval officers complained to me that
they were losing a chance of getting prize
money, and they thought they were at
least entitled to the cotton along the
banks Of the river. l unwisely consented
TO that, and the very next day l saw a
large wagon going along, followed by a
gang Of sailors. The wagon was drawn
by four large mules, having painted on
their sides in large letters gu. S. N" The
cotton bales in the wagon were marked
in the same color &c. S. A"
Someone with me innOcently asked
what those letters meant. "They mean,"
replied, United States Naval Cotton
Stealing Association. l don't mind tax
ing cotton in boats, but / can't stand the
mule business" ana l stopped it at once.
1t had been going on two or three days,
but among all the army teams | had not
noticed this particular one. Upon in
quiry where the sailors got their wagon
was informed that they had ''bOrrOwed"
il from the army about midnight, had
painted it red so that it would not be
Known, and had 'sborrOwed'' the
81 mules in the same way; they shaved
them and daubed them with paint so
that their mothers wouldn't have known
them.
Orders were then given that no cotton
should be touched without an order from
ne.
An! No man can imagine what a
fascination there was in bale Of cotton,
especially when each one was worth a
thousand dollars, and il it could be con-
demned by an admiralty court would
make good prize fund. | had some men
under me who could smell bale of cot
loo mile off. After 1 had given that
rder a gunbOat coming up the river
lad espied a pile of cotton consisting OF
llrty bales. The captain hauled along
SIDE the bank, took it on board, and
eiOught it up, reporting the fact to me on
I BIS arrival.
Throw It overboard,7 l said.
4 Tue captain looked at me with heart
y Nosen expression, but there was no ap
y taA lie obeyed the order. The cottor
y dated on down the river. Another gun
( oat coming up the river fell In with it
n slq the captain with joy IN his heart stop
5a and picked it up, brought 1t on anC
y reported to me.
!. THROW IT overheard and read the las
y, l9er about cotton" I ordered.
* But this was in the water, sir"
- lh0W it overheard at once" repeated
u Ina oyerboard it went, the sad eyes Of thu
/" 'sliois following itregretfully as it float
"A 70 down stream.
b Next day the dispatch boat Gen. Lyol
is ult'ed. The captain reported TO me tha
ns lsd picked up thirty bales Of cottoi
"A o4ung down the river. 1t was the SAM
n ue1 uad been picked up before. Their
"as no getting rid Of it. let it remail
: 'ae Lyon and 10 went to Cairo, befori
V Admiralty Court at Springfield, ant
90 condemned, sold and the proceed
"a " INTO the Treasury, being finally pait
IA 70 the owner, who had never los
G .a1 oI the thirty bales OF cotton sine
b ' ne recovered his money In 1850. ]
g4ia take large volume 20 tell the his
ei cotton transactions at Alexandria
= ue examination before the committe
Ne war there was very cOnsiderabl
@Vuht OF evidence "a SEINE tall lyinl
'ef knew myself until read that eV
y uee now human nature was given
ieoung his Satanic majesty aroun
lsd DIVER extremity OK an arborescer
III NNaN.a. a