James A. Seddon to Z. B. Vance, March 2, 1864

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

YouR EXCELLENCY: I am duly in receipt of yours of 17th ultimo. I have already written you of the difficulty of transporting to Wilmington a sufficiency of cotton to meet our urgent and pressing wants. Lieutenant-Colonel Sims, chief of the railroad bureau, to whom I had referred your letter, returns it indorsed:

All the rolling-stock that can be found is now employea in running cotton to Wilmington, and instructions have been sent out to load all trains with Government cotton to the exclusion of that owned by private parties. Nothing more can be done without diverting some of the corn trains.

You will see, therefore, that every effort is being made to transport the Government cotton to Wilmington. On 26th ultimo Mr. Seixas was enabled to borrow 600 bales of cotton from some parties in Wilmington, and J at once telegraphed him to pay over 300 of them to your agent. The balance of the debt will be canceled as rapidly as possible.

Your obedient servant, very respectfully,