Unknown to J. B. Ferguson, September 23, 1864

Maj. J. B. FERGUSON, , Quartermaster, Manchester, England:

Str: I have just written to Mr. Thomas Sharp fully upon the subject of machinery for the manufacture of blankets. He has been directed to confer with you, and you will please do all you can to arrange for its purchase. You must exercise your discretion in connection with making available the process of extracting wool from rags. If it has proved a success in England it will be of great practical value here. It may even be of service in the manufacture of cloth.

I inclose for your information and action, should circumstances permit, requisitions for articles needed by the field transportation branch of this department and by the Signal Corps, for the wants of which I am expected to provide. Astime goes on and you see that the estimate referred to in my last communication is in a fair way to be responded to, you will endeavor to provide the articles called for, and in the event of making shipments you will be particular to advise this office respecting the same, and in a manner that will enable it to identify the supplies, and so control their destination from Wilmington.

In referring as I did in my previous communication to the advantage of purchasing all gray cloths instead of part blue, I included material for soldiers as well as officers.

The necessities of officers are so great that there is no necessity to purchase the first quality of cloth. The question has become one rather of quantity, due regard being had to wearing properties. The same is to some extent true of stationery. If any material economy can be effected and so the quantity of purchase increased by buying a plain but serviceable article, it had better be done. A further saving as to stationery may be effected by purchasing letter paper, full note size.

A few thousand yards of officers’ cloth—say 5,000—and a limited quantity of stationery, each of superior quality, might be sent in for special purposes.. Some water-proof material will be acceptable, and there is no article more serviceable to the Army for fall and winter wear than the flannel or worsted shirts, or the material for their manufacture.

The water-proof material must be postponed to an abundant supply of woolen goods, as also must the inclosed requisition. *

A. R. LAWTON, Quartermaster-General.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Raleigh, September 28, 1864. His Excellency Governor M. L. BONHAM, Columbia, S. C.:

DEAR SiR: The Legislatures of the various States will soon be in session. It will become them to take such steps in aid of the common cause as the perilous and straightened condition of the country demands. The great evil of desertion must be broken up, if possible; provision must be made to feed the poor, and the feeble and desponding must be encouraged and inspired with hope; and, beyond all

else, men must be sent to the armies of Generals Lee and Hood. To find how and where to get these men is the great object of inquiry. Large numbers, no doubt, are in the various departments of the Confederate Government who could be sent to the field and their places filled by non-combatants. It will be for the Confederate Government to look after these. There are also numbers engaged in the various State departments who might be spared. And there is yet a large class of State officers in all the States withheld from service, not only on account of the necessity for them in administering the governments, but also because the principle of States sovereignty rendered it improper to allow the Confederate Government to conscript them. This latter class I suppose to be quite numerous in all the States, and could there be a way prescribed to put at least a portion of them into service without injuring the efficiency of the State governments, and without infringing upon the rights of the States and their dignity as sovereigns, they would constitute quite a material re-enforcement to our hard-pressed armies. It seems indeed desirable beyond doubt. However, it is especially desirable that action on this and all kindred matters should be uniform, or as nearly so as possible. It would avoid much discontent for every man to know that he was required to do only that which every one else has to do, and that the burdens of the war are fairly distributed. In order to attain this uniformity, as well as to consult on any other matter of possible concern which might present itself, I beg leave

respectfully