D. I’. JAmMIson, Lxecutive Office, March 15, 1861

Sre: I am instructed by his excellency the governor to inform you that he is unwilling to modify his orginal permission that you should receive from the markets in this city such supplies of fresh meat and vegetables as you might indicate. A proper investigation will. be instituted to inquire what obstacle has been interposed to the execution of the orders given on the subject.

I will inquire why Lieutenant-Colonel Hatch has not sent the private property of Sergeant Renehan which was left at Fort Moultrie.

With respect to the furniture left by Captain Foster in the house occupied by him before he left Sullivan’s Island, and the papers, &c., left

in his office in this city, I reply that Captain Simonton was requested to – separate the furniture claimed by Captain Foster from his own, and send it to Fort Sumter through the quartermaster-general. This has ‘been delayed, I believe, chiefly on account of some reclamations on the part of Captain Simonton for injuries done to his own furniture during the time the house was occupied by Captain Foster, and for rent. I have been informed that the matter has been attended to by Captain Simonton within the past few days, and I will take steps to have Cap_ tain Foster’s property sent to him without delay. As to the papers, _ Mr. Legaré, who was indicated by Captain Foster as a proper person to _ carry out his wishes, reported to me that he had collected and sent the _ papers, &c., to Captain Foster. With respect to the property which you failed to recover from Fort _ Moultrie, I am informed by Lieutenant-Colonel Ripley that he sent word to you that if you would transmit an inventory of any articles of prop- – erty left by you he would endeavor to collect and send them to you, but _ that he received no reply to his offer.

As to the servant referred to in your letter, it is proper that I should say that [am unwilling to discuss any question of right or courtesy growing out of the case beyond the unquestionable privilege of a slave owner to permit or not, at his own pleasure, the return of his slave to a hostile fort; but, as you have put @ different interpretation on the language employed by me in my letters on the subject than I designed, I desire to state what I did mean: ‘The very improper correspondence ” between the slaves to which I alluded had reference to the slaves alone, as information was given by the woman to the boy of operations in this city which were not proper to be communicated to any one in your garrison, and the reply of the boy clearly showed that his temper and principles had not been improved by a residence in Fort Sumter. The other words of mine, which you quote—”‘ nothing more than what might have been expected between silly persons in their situation”—were meant as kind expressions on my part, to disabuse the minds of Dr. Crawford and other officers at the fort of any unfavorable impression upon me of a complicity on their part with the improper correspondence of idle negroes.

respectfully, yours,