The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-06
VANCE'S LETTER BOOK.

gia, as that region seemed to him safer
and more accessible. Secretary Of War
Seldom wrote January eth that he
would turn over cotton in Georgia in
settlement of the governments debt.
He declared he wanted 500 bales de-
liyered at once some where in North
Carolina.
Under late Of January eth a sharp
letter was written the secretary of
war: 81 have now at Bermuda and on
the way there, eight or ten cargoes of
supplies of the very first Importance
to the army and the people, consisting
chiefly of some 10000 blankets, 40.oOo
pair of shoes, large quantities of army
cloth, leather, liz, 900 pairs Of cotton
cards, machinery and findings to ref1t
twenty-six Of our principal cotton and
wool factories, dye stuffs, lubr1catlng
oils, etc. j have also made large pur-
chases of AGO Knowing the steamer
could not bring in these cargoes before
spring, at which time 1 anticipate the
closing of the port of Wilmington Cf
not sooner) and that the risk was in
creasing daily, / sold one-half Of the
| states steamer, Advance, and pur-
| chased of Collie & Co. one-fourth inter-
| est in four steamers, the Hausa, the
| Don, and two now building. The terms
! Of sale given the state is O~ne-fOurth the
| w cargo dHu tuc, Ih"oAN
| cargo-nothing, whatever, being car
ried for speculation. Now the confed-
! eracy demand one-third of the capaci-
ty of each steamer. I object to this. 1t
is remarkable to me that the entire
importing operations of this state,
which have been so successful n so
| beneficial to the cause, seem 10 nave
met with little else than downright OPP
! position from the confederacy. In it's
$4,000, ;ooan4inr Mr. Macon orr commits
l sioner in England, laid the strong hand
on my agents and positively forbade
them from putting a bond on the mar
ket for five months after they lande
in England. Then came vexations and
irritating quarantine delays at Will
mington enforced by the military, not
the civil authorities) though u for
| eign depot was at great cost, made at
J Bermuda and not at Nassau. Then
| seizure of my coal at Wilmington oc-
| Cured, and denial of facilities to get
it from the mines, etc. A great eal OF
this is attributable to want Of discre-
ton on the part Of subordinate officers,
as we'll as the want of foresight dis
played in the opposing of every 1ndl-
| vidual interest of this country by army
officers. If the regulations are enfOrc-
ed as to the steamers, 1 shall counter
| mand their sailing. 1 a the Hausa
to bring in from Nassau confederate
bacon, so anxious am 1 that these
steamers shall be employed for the
public good"
January 7th Vance wrote Andrea:
There are about 1000 prisoners of the
troops of this state in northern prisons,
who are suffering for clothing. Commits
siner Ould informs me that money can
be sent them to purchase clothing, and
for this purpose I desire a bill of ex-
change on London. My own check on
Mr.. Collie (for cotton sales) might not
be received. Could you not give me a
check on your house, which is doubt
less we'll known in New York, and take
my check on MIR. Collie. The amount I
desire is $4,000, in two bills OF $4,000
ach
The secretary of war wrote Vance
thanking him for the cotton kindly
lent, saying it was for the use of the
ordnance department.; that he would
return at Wilmington, as quick as he
could, or could deliver all at once at
| Augusta, where the ordnance depart
ment had a lot stored.
1t is stated that some of the best
of the cloth out of which uniforms
were to be made was from Peter Tart
q Co., OF LIMERICK, lreldnu.
Archibald NcPhail, formerly a pri-
vate in the SE:ty-third North Carolina
cavalry, was regularly discharged on
habeas corpus by Judge Heath, because
he had furnished a substitute, yet he
was arrested by Captain Harris, his
commanding officer, and put back into
service with the fiat of the judge in his
pocket. Vance wrote the secretary of
war, demanding McPhails immediate
discharge.
Andrea wrote tina the reason the
Hausa went to Nassau instead of Ber-
muda was that there vas on coal at
Bermuda.
January 10th this letter was written
Ex-Governor D. L.. Swain: "Mr. Gra-
ham has declined to accept the ap-
pointment of enato for Mr.. Davis
unexpired term. I desire very much
that you should accept it. In the first
place, I believe that above all men in
the state your age position and thar
acter would enable you to modify and
soften the present violent and desper-
ate temper of congress-, and that you
could really be of service to the state.
In the next place, it would afford me
infinite satisfaction for you to receive
this mark of confidence 1.-THE greatest it
may ever be in my power to bestow) at
my hands"
Swain replied on the 18th: II re-
greet exceedingly to find myself COM
PEELED at this momentous crisis Of your
public affairs to decline the acceptance
of the high public trust, Of the proper
discharge of which you think me COM
petent and propose in such f1attering
terms. The health of my family will
not admit of my leaving home imme-
diately, and the session Of congress is
too near it's close and occupied with too
important subjects to admit: of any
delay"
January 18th Vance wrote Edwin G.
Reade, at RoXboro: Il enclose you a
commission as senator from North Car
DINA for the remainder Of the unex-
pired term of Hon. Geo. Davis. 1 trust !
you will accept it and proceed at once !
RI RInhynnnd Nh 49, T. - - L