Department to James A. Seddon, April 11, 1864

Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON, Richmond, Va.:

Under the late act of Confederate Congress the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to issue permits to persons to trade beyond our lines. I have been residing at this point—the western termination of the railroads—and from a long residence at Vicksburg and familiar acquaintance with the people and localities I have good opportunities to judge of men and things and accomplishing results. Many articles are needed in my department (field transportation) which it is impossible to procure in the country, and can only be obtained from beyond our lines. I am satisfied that when Yankee troops and officers being removed from the Mississippi River to Tennessee and Virginia leave, that a large amount of supplies can be landed at such point on the river as to be removed easily within our lines and used by our Government. Understand me. I have nothing to say as to policy of the Government, supposing it indicated by passage of the act of Congress. There are a number of persons in and about the Yankee lines (Confederates who have taken the oath) whose integrity is undoubted, and whose feelings are with the Confederates, if not their political principles (bad thing swearing), who I am satisfied can collude with Yankee officers that will be left, and can have anything they wish delivered, if necessary under the French flag, either on the Yazoo River or some other interior stream, and removed. There is in the Yankee lines a perfect mania for trading in cotton, even going so far as to control their military operations, covered under the pretense of getting out negro men, mules, and supplies of food—in truth, gotten up and being controlled by cotton traders, dividing the profits with superior officers. Witness the late raid into the Yazoo River, and the return to Yazoo City of a steamer for cotton under the French flag; the raid at same date sent into lower part of Hinds County with a military force, Government wagons and teams, to procure cotton where they had previously destroyed all the supplies and taken off the negroes; also the raid into Ouachita and Red River, and the continual trading around Natchez, in all cases the marks being cut off the Government cotton and proceeds divided with any woman or man who points it out and makes the outside arrangement, avowedly for the purpose of defrauding their own Government by using for private gain Confederate cotton captured, and to which the United States Government would be entitled. If necessary the arrangement might be made in the name of citizens of France. The Government yet owns a large amount of cotton west of Pearl River, on the entire front from Lake Maurepas to the Tennessee line. This cotton is being hourly stolen and carried to the Yankee lines, and the whole military force of the Confederate States could not stop it. The Government has not and cannot procure transportation to move it. As it stands, the whole population is being demoralized, socially, morally, and politically, and the whole social fabric is being destroyed and demoralized, and the country is becoming filled with speculators, deserters, and conscripts—overrun by our own troops and the Yankees. Ladies residing in this region, eminent for wealth, respectability, intelligence, and beauty, make nothing of taking Government cotton without authority and traveling in the night to the enemy’s lines, as they assert, bribing both pickets, and in return bringing out whisky, calico, and coffee, and have it sold ata large profit. The Government should promptly do one of two things— either have burnt every pound of cotton in this region indicated, or make some arrangement to convert it into such articles as the Goyernment needs or the money. I have not written a letter or received one from any person in Vicksburg, or anywhere else in the Yankee lines, since the fall of Vicksburg, and unless upon matters of interest for the Government and appertaining to my official duty do I expect to communicate; nor have I received an article from there. Our officers are overrun with applications for passports to go to the enemy’s lines, and pickets annoyed and corrupted by their attempting to pass without passports. Since the commencement of the war I have not purchased any article to sell again, and do not intend to do so during the war. Under the above state of facts it is important that the Government should act promptly on the cotton and trading question, and also on the passport question.

Not being known to Mr. Memminger, I address this to you, and if upon consultation it is deemed advisable to procure mules, cast-steel, shoe thread, trace chains, &c., and numerous other articles, by exchange for this cotton, I think I can accomplish it.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,