E. Kirby Smith to Smmeon Hart, June 24, 1863

Maj. SmmEon HART, Assistant Quartermaster, San Antonio, Tex.:

Mason: I inclose you a list of articles* required for the service of the ordnance department. Major Minter will very soon send you a list of articles required for the service of the quartermaster’s department. He says he furnished you with a list in February last for the quartermaster’s department of the District of Texas, and if you will so increase it as to supply Louisiana and Arkansas, it will be satisfactory. Mr. S. Simpson, who represents himself as the agent for several large commercial associations in Great Britain, has said to me he is willing to buy cotton in this or other localities with sterling exchange, so as to enable you to pay for foreign cargoes. This will relieve you from the difficulty of transportation to Matamoras. There are about 20,000 bales of cotton in this vicinity purchased by the sub-agents of the Treasury

* List omitted.

Department. The sub-agent here seems to think you would have no control of this cotton. Iam not fully advised as to your authority to dispose of this.

As I am informed your chief difficulty in securing cargoes of foreign goods and in fulfilling your contracts isin getting cotton to Brownsville, it seems to me it would be judicious to enter into some arrangement with Mr. Simpson or other parties to exchange cotton in the interior for sterling bills or for foreign goods.

I presume the War Department has furnished you with lists of articles to be purchased. The list which I inclose, as well as that of Major Minter, referred to, has in view the supply of the present wants of this department without reference to the lists that may have been sent you from Richmond.

Your obedient servant,