J. Bankhead Magruder to W. R. Boaes, June 22, 1863

Brig. Gen. W. R. Boaes, Chief of Staff, Department Trans-Mississippi:

GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose a letter of Brigadier-General Bee, which is of the greatest importance, and which contains the following propositions:

1. To place every conscript team and teamster at the disposal of Major Hart, without regard to any pledge that may have been given to contractors to permit them to use them.

2. That contractors who have been abroad, and have returned with their goods, or who are abroad, turn them over at once to Major Hart, and receive their pay at once in cotton.

3. Contractors who are en route for Brownsville with cotton turn over there their cotton to Major Hart, and receive its value in cotton in the interior; and such contractors who have taken no steps, or only initiatory steps, to carry out their contracts, shall be informed that they cannot use conscript teams.

4, That an order be issued to compel all conscript teamsters to work for Major Hart, or go in the ranks of the army; this to apply to all contractors, whether of Lieutenant-General Holmes, Lieutenant-General Smith, officers beyond the Mississippi, or of Major-General Magruder.

There are but four months left to take cotton to the Rio Grande, and the necessity for the contract system has passed away. The articles required by us have come and are coming. Mr.[George W. Thatcher, for instance, to carry out his contract, would consume a large portion of the cotton transportation to get supplies now in Europe, when the same transportation is required to secure similar supplies now at Brownsville, or en route for Brownsville, and if the latter be not secured and paid for in cotton, discredit will be thrown, not only upon the transaction based

90 W. FLA., 8. ALA., 8. MISS., L. A., TEX., N. MEX. [Cap XXXVIIL

upon cotton of this department, but of the entire Confederacy. For this reason, I have always differed from Major Minter as to the propriety of disbursing officers making contracts based upon cotton, and for this reason I strongly recommend that the 2,000 bales of cotton ordered to be purchased to carry out the contract of Mr. Thatcher be turned over at once to Major Hart, and, if such cotton has not been purchased, that the order for its purchase be countermanded, and that Mr. Thatcher be authorized to proceed to Europe to execute his contract there for supplies, to be paid for in cotton on their delivery here, and such papers be given him by Lieutenant-General Smith as will afford him the necessary credit with which to buy these articles; in short, to use all the means and cotton of the Government to pay for articles here before they are used to pay for articles in Europe. If the latter be done, it will result in our not obtaining the supplies now here, and in an entire loss of national credit both here and abroad.

I beg that Lieutenant-General Smith will give Brigadier-General Bee hinselt, or through me, written authority to take the cotton of Government contractors to pay for these supplies, particularly arms, in accordance with the suggestions of his letter. It will not do to impress the cotton of planters, and others who buy, and take it with their own means to the Rio Grande, if it can be avoided.

The political state of the country will, in my own judgment, hardly justify it, but the Government cotton—that is, the cotton of Government contractors, carried by Government teams, and for Government purposes—should be taken in this emergency, and the cotton afterward supplied them at other points for the fulfillment of their contracts thus postponed. Whether the contractor can be supplied at once with cotton or not, the cotton should be taken.

There is doubt entertained by both General Bee and myself whether cotton is to be impressed by the act of impressment. This question clearly should be settled by the officer of the highest military rank in the department—Lieutenant-General Smith. Ihave, therefore, declined impressing cotton, or giving authority to impress cotton, and shall continue to do so until I receive the orders of Lieutenant-General Smith to impress it.

I will frankly state, however, that were I the commanding general of the Trans-Mississippi Department, I would, under the present circumstances, impress the cotton of Government contractors in sufficient quantities to secure the supplies already here and those en route, giving them cotton in the interior of the same quality, bale for bale, and hereafter the means of transporting the same, and, if necessary, paying fair damages for loss of time and increased expenses, and at the same time releasing them from the penalties of their contracts.

I beg that the lieutenant-general commanding will decide this question at the very earliest convenient moment, and send the result to me by swift express.

very respectfully, your obedient servant,