The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-23

was put back as a private in his old
regiment. He begged to transfer. Gen.
era1 Lee let him transfer to any COM
pany in the army corps 10 which he be-
longed, provided it was from the state
of North Carolina.
President Davis, as requested by
Vance, removed Major Bradford as
chief collector of the government tax
in kind" in North Carolina, and said:
Il wish not only this, but every other
impeachment TO your successful career
removed. J am aware of the embar-
rassment you may hav in carrying out
your patriotic efforts to aid the con-
federate government in the struggle,
and relying on your capacity and en-
ergy to overcome them, would be very
far from allowing any additional OBJ
struction to be thrown in your way"
Captain L. j. Young wrote from the
camp of the 26th a Gettysburg July
4, that the regiment had suffered
frightfu1 losses in that great battle.
Captain Albright was the only captain
unhurt, and was July 4 in command of
n regiment, while L~ieutenants Lowe,
Blair, Curston and Sudderth Of con
pany I were all of all the subalterns un-
wounded.
July % the governor wrote the secre-
tary of war: IA large number of de-
serters say 1000, are inthe mountains
and the inaccessible wilds of the west.
l have found it impossible to get them
out, and they are plundering and rob-
bling the people. Through their friends
they have made me propositions to
come out and enlist for defense of the
state alone. Shall I accept it? The
effect ON the army might be injurious,
but they can never otherwise he made
Of service, or kept from devastating the
country. II you advise ~favorably I
think L can get at least 1000 effective
men,
AS has been stated, Governor Vance
had asked the war department and
General Lee to allow him to send NJ. I.
McSween With the army OF Northern
Virginia as wal correspondent. The
secretary Of war and General Lee got
an idea that Vance thought the official
reports unjust to North Carolina. Gen.
eral Lee refused permission. Vance
wrote July 26: 'It seems strange that
General Lee and yourself should so ut
terly misconstrue my meaning. I had
no reference of course, to the official
reports of our army affairs, as doing
IL ~ ~NoA Ool l. Oop L
simply desired to correct as far as pos
Sible the daily neglect and frequent
Slander of a portion of the Richmond
press, which has it's corps of reporters
in every department of the army, by
sending a similar corps to report for
the press of this state. The Richmond
press allege as an excuse for mot
speaking Of the troops of this state that
there are no correspondents from this
state to report, ETC., and this I was in
part yin to remedy. Z only desired,
sir, in other words, that newspaper cor
respondents from Carolina should
be allowed to attend our army, with
the same protection and the same ac-
cess to information as I learn is given
to others. But as Genera Lee objects
to it n has seen proper to think that
I object to official reports, which have
never yet been published, I beg cave to
withdraw my request. The troops for
North Carolina can we'll afford to ap-
peal to history. I am confident that
they have but little to expect from their
associates. Just after the battle of
Charlottesville Notwithstanding North
Carolina furnished One-half the killed
and wounded, it was reliably reported
throughout this state that General Lee
had refused applications for furloughs
to our wounded soldiers, on the ground
that they would not return if recOv-
cred. If such an endorsement wasmade
officially it would, of urs be credited
by the historian al injustice done
the very men who had won hat vic
tory. The Richmond Enquirer in a
recent article, with authority of it's
special correspondent, charges de-
feat at Gettysburg upon the cowadice
and incapacity of the North Carolina
troops composing Heth's division. Such
things are hard 60 bear if true and if
untrue we are denied the right of hav-
ing correspondents in the army to cor
rect them, and must wait for the pub
LEGATION of official reports, which may
OF nay not be published. How such
things can contribute to the success of
the cause I am unable to say"
The following was Lees endorsement
OIL Vance's application for McSween:
Il very much regret that the impress
sion should prevail hat injustice is
done to any portion of this army. I
know of no case and have heard of
none. If the official reports of the Off
Ger commanding the troops cannot b.
believed or relied on 1 know Of no way
of obtaining the truth. The place pro-
posed by Governor Vance for MI. Nc
Sween will, I think, work great evil
and produce embarrassments to the
service. I cannot recommend that it
be adopted. 1t must then be extended
~ dll StdltS, dIu II Call IcdUlly DC
seen what would be the result. If the
officer commanding the troops do not
tell the truth they should be removed"
July % in a letter to the secretary of
war Vance said: Il suggest the pro-
priety of your positively forbidding the
officers of the government from engag-
ing in speculations on private account.
Many of them have been engaged in it
here, to the great detriment of the COM
munity and the public service. In ad-
dition to the temptation it offers for the
misapplication of the public funds, it is
corrupting in its tendencies, assists inup-
holding prices and excites unusual pre-
JUDGE in the community"
July % John NJ. Worth rendered his
resignation as state salt commissioner,
to take effect August 1.
July 1 n. w Woodfn wrote from Salt
Vile, Va, that he had that day shipped
$751; 29 bushels of salt to the various
counties of the state. OF this Mackien-