James A. Seddon to The Senate Of The Confederate States Of America, January 14, 1864

Richmond, Va., January 14, 1864.

Governor Z. B. VANCE, Raleigh, N. C.:

Your EXCELLENCY: I am duly in receipt of your letter of 7th instant. Before it came to hand I had directed that the following telegram be sent to the agent of the Department at Wilmington: ‘¢No reply yet from Governor Vance. The Secretary of War wishes you to arrange to let Don go out, leaving the question of ownership of one-third of the cargo to be determined after full conference with Governor Vance,” and had received a reply as follows: ”Suggestion in your telegram relative to Don anticipated. She has proceeded to sea.” Iam most anxious, in reference to the blockade trade, to do whatever will most subserve the use of the Army and people. After I found that the few steamers owned by the Government were inadequate to carry out cotton to purchase supplies and munitions urgently needed, I sent an officer to Wilmington and Charleston to confer with owners of steamers and make the best arrangements possible to secure a portion of the carrying capacity of their steamers for the Government, and wrote at the same time to Generals Beauregard and Whiting, placing the necessities of the Government before them. Arrangements were then made whereby the several owners conceded at least one-third of their carrying capacity on payment of reasonable freights therefor. Under these arrangements the Don and Hansa have heretofore been loaded. I am aware that the owners and agents of this line (who are all foreigners, as I am advised) were prepared to make any concession as to inward freights to be relieved from earrying out any cotton for the Government, their sole interest lying in getting out of the country as much cotton as possible. Indeed, I have found no difficulty in securing as much freight room inward as I desire from the ports which the steamers run.

Under these circumstances I think you will agree with me, Governor, that the arrangements with Messrs. Collie & Co., with which you propose to supersede mine, are less advantageous to the country than those established by me. We are both laboring in the same cause and for the same end, and IJ will not willingly allow any conflict with you through officers acting under my authority, and I feel that I may ask the same of you. Our wants for meat, lead, saltpeter, shoes, clothing, &¢., are most urgent at this time, and every bale of cotton I could send out has been devoted to such purchases for the use of all the troops in the field. When I learned that you had purchased the steamer Advance I did not wait for an application, but at once directed the agent at Wilmington to exempt her from the requirements made of all other steamers. The Don and Hansa are upon a different footing. They are already engaged in carrying out one-third of cargo for account of the Government. The owners made overtures to you in order to be relieved from what they regarded as an onerous obligation. When advised of these facts I do not think you will insist on thus relieving them by your contract from their engagements with the Government—engagements they were actively executing at the time you entered into contract with them.

If for special temporary purposes connected with your supplies at Bermuda you wish the exemption of the Hansa and Don for present trip, or indeed longer time, I shall give orders to meet your wishes. I am sure that you will agree with me that, as a general thing, it will be better for the Confederate Government to send out cotton to procure supplies for our armies than for the individual States to undertake the matter. Some States have no ports, others are within the occupation of the enemy. The troops from such States must be supplied by the Confederate Government only. If each State undertakes the export of cotton and the import of all supplies necessary, we shall have great jealousy among the troops from the different States and great embarrassment in questions connected with railroad transportation. There can be no objection to a State exerting every effort for the comfort and well-being of its soldiers and people, but such efforts should be outside of and not interfere with those of the Confederate Government for the comfort and well-being of the whole Army and country.

I will, on this full representation of the considerations that control the Department, leave it entirely to your own judgment and patriotism to determine whether any and what allowance should be made the Government of the last cargoes of the Hansa and Don, but trust that upon their return you will consent to have them resume their place in carrying out one-third for the Government, and will so advise me on the receipt of this.

I ought, in addition, to intimate to you that General Whiting, from some correspondence he has seen with Mr. Andrea, has formed unfavorable opinions as to his interest in our cause and the purely selfish ends at which he is aiming.

I have the honor, sir, to remain,

very respectfully, your obedient

servant,

Secretary of War.

RICHMOND, VA., January 15, 1864.

THE SENATE OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA:

I have received from your honorable body, through the hands of

your secretary, a copy of the report and resolution adopted by you in

executive session on the 9th instant.