The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-06-25
UNPUBLISHED WAR RECORDS
Additional Extracts From the Letter Book of
Cover nor Vance for 1862 and 1868.

federate authorities have desired my
permission to seize the mills OF North
Carolina and work them for the benefit
Of the army. Should it be formally
asked of me again / shall Withdraw my
objectiors and permit them to do as
they wish. unless the manufacturers
make reasonable contracts with the
state. i should state, as a matter of
justice, that you have been quite as
liberal, and perhaps more so, with the
state, as any others, but no amount of
can render extortion justif1a-
bic or respectable"
| October eth Captain Rufus Barrin-
| ger, Company F, First North Carolina
| cavalry, Martinsburg. Va, reported the
regiment in very bad shape, and put
the blame quarely pom Colonel Baker,
| commanding, and his quartermaster and
| cOmrnissary. The governor promptly
wrote the secretary of war: The
| state has spent vast sums in e%quipping
+, this regiment and has taken. every care
to render it alike to the state and to
the service. It's failure las been obvious
and Notifying. The blame most GER
tainly rests with it's officers. for its
material was in all respects the very
best our state could produce" Cap
tain Barringer said that of 900 men not
over 300 had for several weeks been on
duty, and out of over 800 horses pur-
chased not over 600 or $50 could then be
found.
The confederate government k
Governor Vance to allow the making
of whiskey for medicinal uses. Gov
ernOr Vance replied that the legislature
had positively prohibited the distilla-
ton of whiskey.
October 5, 1862, Major S. D. Thruston,
commanding the Third regiment, N. c..
S. T., in bivouac near Winchester, Va,
wrote the governor a letter. saying:
I'm accordance with the unanimous de-
sire of my officers and men, l beg leave
to return to you the cOlOrs entrusted
to us by the state of North Carolina at
the commencement of this contest.
When the regiment was first attached
to the army before Richmond the con-
federate battle flag was issued to it
and all other cOlOrS ordered to be dis
carded. Previous to the battles in
Maryland, however, Our colonel, at the
request of both officers and men. once
more unfurled our North Carolina COL
Ors, a special guard was detailed for
the defence of the latter, and in addi-
ton to our battle flag we carried our
state flag into the. engagement at
Sharpsburg. This is the only one in
which it has ever been and it bears
eNllellce III us lOluS ina II was III the
very thickest of the fight. while our
list of killed and wounded shows we
did not fail in our trust. Two of it's
bearers were killed and two seriously
wounded, yet not once were it's folds
allowed to touch the ground. 1 en-
trust it to Lieutenant John Van Box
kelen."
Under date of October 18th Surgeon
General Edward IRON Wrnto from
Stanton, Va, that as directed by w
ernOr Vance he was visiting the hos
pitfalls looking after the wants of North
Carolina soldiers. His letter is a pic
ture Ct some of the horrors of war. In
it he says: The delight of our SOL
dierS at seeing me and learning that
you had sent me to lOok after their
wants cannot be expressed in words.
Many of them cried like children and
declared they would never forget you.
Here there are 5000 soldiers in hOspit-
ais, and at least a fourth are North Car
olinians. Dirty, naked, without shoes,
hats or socks, wounded in every posi-
bic n utterly dispirited and en-
tirely Indifferent to everything, the
soldiers in these hospitals present a
picture of Indebtedness and misery
which no tongue or pen can describe.
They are arriving now at the rate of
1000 a day from the army, in trains
which consume a whole week in MAX
ing the journey, and in this way hum
ger is added to their other SufferlngS.
Taking all things together the cOndi-
ton of these poor unfortunates is
enough to wiring tears from hearts OF
stone n to stamp the authorities of
the c~onfederacy with a brand Of unut-
terable disgrace. Thank God, I have
been able to do something at least for
the poor fellows from North Carolina.
All that / ave done was in your name
and on this very night you have the
prayers and blessings Of hundred who
have been made comparatively COM
Portable by your kindness. DR.. Man
son is the very man for our agent in
Richmond. 1 have found DR.. Little an
invaluable assistant.
October 90, 1862. William B. Quick
was appointed the states fiscal agent
in all matters of finance between it n
the confederacy.
Under late Of October 1, 1862, is a let
! ter from Edward Stanley (who was un-
der appointment of President Lincoln
military governor Of those counties Of
which the United States had resumed
possession). In this letter Governor
! Stanley says: The strong affection
which I have inherited and cherish for
the people of my native state has in
| duced me to come here by request Of
the president of the United States. -
I confidently believe l am in a position
to confer blessings upon the people Of
North Carolina, if the honorable gentle
men in high station who now control
her affairs will give me their assist
ance." Mr.. Stanley then asked Govern
or Vance to grant him an interview or
else that some good citizens Of the
state be appointed to confer with STAN
ley. The latter said his chief purpose
was to see whether some measures
could not be adopted which might lead
to an honorable peace, or else much be
done to alleviate the inevitable suffer-
ings which attend a war. Stanley had
authority to negotiate for an exchange
of political prisoners. He declared he
wished to do nothing secretly and did
not stand upon questions of etiquette,
wishing only to be instrumental in 10
ing good to my country and to that
brave and noble-hearted people who