The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-06

~
Especial Correspondence
The following is a continuation of ex-
tracts from the war letter book of Gov
ernor Vance for 1904.
December 20 Vance wrote the secre-
tary of war that provisions were very
scarce in the state and urged that the
government impress as small guam
titles as possible; hat the impressing
AGENTS acted, in many cases, In such a
way as to to cause great dissatisfaction
mona the people, and ssumed TO
judge of the quantity the citizen need
ed for the us. of his family.
In a letter to Judge Robert Guild,
commissioner Of exchange, the COVER
nor said the federal troops on the
Chowan river were refusing to treat
Colonel Hinton's confederates as
prisoners of war; that they had muir
dered several, and t-lso that they had
arrested two respectable women, whom
they kept handcuffed as hostages for
negro soldiers, and declared their in
tention to hang them in case the ne
groes were hanged. Vance wanted
these troops included in the cartel OF
exchange, SO as Ito repress, II possible,
this cowardly and ma DISPOSE
ton to put women in irons as nos
tages." He said that a General wild
was at the bottom of this business.
Vance had a sharp tilt with the con-
federate government a the latter
licensed whiskey distilleries, which the
state law forbade, a OF the con-
SUMPTION Of corn, so SOrely needed Tor
food. The whiskey was ostensibly
made for the medical department.
William Collie, of the English firm Of
Collie & Co., writing from Wilmington,
confirms all the contracts. made by
his agent. Theodore Andrea, on his
visit to Vance, at Raleigh,as to the
purchase of an interest in steamers by
the state. December % Andrea said
$500 bales of cotton would be needed
for shipment in January from Whining
ton. He added: There is no proba-
bility that any cotton Will be claimed
from you on bonds issued to Collie &
Co, before the end of the war, partic-
larly if the government continues to
put restrictions on the exporting
trade"
u
George N. Saunders, writing from
London to Vance, attacked Duncan K.
MacRae and asserted that the lat
ter had given a Mr.. Weston $4,000 Ito
carry out his nefarious plans, consti-
tuting him contractor, agent and in
spector for the state" that the rosin
bonds were placed at the rate of $1.5O
a barrel and the state credited with
only 70 cents. Saunders wrote that
'the transaction, when fully brought
to light, will exceed in reckless viii
lainy anything in his corrupt age"
January 4. 1864. Vance wrote the
secretary of war that he was indignant
because the government, which had
borrowed cotton from the state refused
to make return; that he cOuld get no
cotton hauled from Georgia or South
Carolina because the cOnfederacy had
monopolized all the transportation;
that he had then three steamers
bringing in goods from Bermuda, and
that as the c~onfederacy would neltner
allow him to haul his own cotton or
pay him what it owed, the steamers
would be compelled to stop or take
cotton for SPECTATORS; that the con-
federacy had plenty of cotton and must
send him 1880 bales at Wilmington;
tina he had great quantities of stores,
particularly bacon, at Nassau, and If
not got in during the winter of 1854
it would not get in at all.
Colonel Peter Mallett, commanding
the conscripts, wrote December "a: Il
beg leave to invite your attention to
the course now being pursued by The
Daily Progress, e~ditorially, in de-
nouncing the government, and the &C
ton of it's agents in a manne calcu-
lated to incite the people to resistance,
and 1 would respectfully request that
unless immediate and decisive meas
,rr.N- n~n nlynv ~ nnrn fhI0 in
creasing evil, it may result in civil war
and prove the ruin of our cause. Your
execellency is respectfully referred to
the issue of December % and that of
today"
IS
John White wrote from Manchester,
England, hat he had shipped sc, 1000
pairs of cotton and wool cards and five
machines at 500 each for making
them. with enough Irvine to keep them
going for a ear. He had, up to Oc-
tober 81, sold $500. 600 Of cotton bonds.
The first lot of that cotton had been
sold and brought the highest price
ever obtained in England for like quail
ity-50 to 60 cents.
I. A. Weston, as Col. MacRae's rep
resentative, wrote that he had shipped
from London SIG, 900 worth of shoes,
made by Sichel & Co.. He said this firm
was not treating the state fairly. He
also shipped 10000 yards of cloth, 1000
pairs blankets. together with caps.
January 5, 1864, the governor wrote
Andrea expressing regret that the latter
had sent the steamer Hausa to Mas
sau instead of Bermuda, as the state
had no freight at Nassau. Il bought an
interest in the HauSa only to get my
cargoes brought in from Bermuda. /
would not risk one dollar in any vessel
to bring in freight for other parties. l
telegraphed you to take the states
coal, ninety tons, and send her to Ber- |
muda. You took forty tons and sent
her to Nassau. This will not do. If I
can't have the inward cargo 1 shall
have to decline proceeding with Mr..
Collie and further. The Don will prob
ably come.in without sufficient coal
and have the same excuse for return
to Nassau. 1t seems we miSunder-