James A. Seddon to Confederate Authorities. 285, April 11, 1864
Richmond, Va., April 11, 1864.
Hon. THOMAS BRAGG, Raleigh, N. C.:
Your letter of the 6th instant has been received. The decision of questions under the conscription act in reference to the liability of parties to serve under the act, under Orders No. 26, is to be made by the enrolling officer. An appeal can be taken from his decision to the commander of conscripts, and from his decision an appeal can be taken to the Bureau of Conscription, and finally to this Department. There was no intention on the part of this Department that you should be burdened with the performance of the duty of deciding such questions. The officers, in case of doubt or difficulty, have been authorized to take counsel from you, but the instructions of the Bureau and the orders of the Department are full and precise, and it was not anticipated that any occasion would arise in the ordinary business of that department. They should refer cases to the Bureau if necessary. These cases have no connection with the act to suspend the writ of habeas corpus. Congress passed an act relative to the harboring of deserters. The act will be found in Orders No. 29. It provides that if any person shall procure or entice a soldier to desert, or shall aid or assist any deserter from the Army or any person enrolled for service to evade their proper commanders or to prevent their arrest to be returned to the service, or shall knowingly conceal or harbor such deserter, or shall purchase from any soldier or person enrolled for service any portion of his army equipments, rations, or clothing, or any property of the Confederate States or of any officer or soldier, upon conviction before the district court of the Confederate States having jurisdiction of the offense, he shall be fined not exceeding $1,000 and be imprisoned not exceeding two years. All cases arising under this act should be turned over to the judicial tribunals whenever the facts warrant that course. There is no particular occasion for any interruption of the course of these tribunals in ordinary cases. If the prosecution of such cases under the act of the Legislature of North Carolina would be as efficient and convenient a mode of redress, no objection is perceived to a resort to the State courts. The committing magistrates of the State are empowered to act under the laws of the Confederacy for the same purpose.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Secretary of War.
CONFEDERATE AUTHORITIES. 285
APPOMATTOX, VA., April 11, 1864.
Hon. JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War:
DEAR SiR: The people of this county are already suffering much
for corn, and unless something can be done to supply them the condition of things by the middle of May must be painful in the extreme.