We are in urgent need of it, as we have found that common glue cannot be used, and that no substitutes yet tried will answer. Very respectfully, J. GORGAS. Through Major Stansbury, who will purchase and ship, if it can be found in Bermuda, two thousand pounds of above-described bonnet glue. Fraser, Trenholm & Co. to Major Huse. LIVERPOOL, September 8, 1863. DEAR SIR: We beg to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of 5th instant, the contents of which are noted. Mr. Memminger, under date of the 29th March, when advising the appointment of Mr. Heyliger and Mr. Walker as depositaries, states that they are authorized to draw on us against shipments of cotton, which they forward for funds to pay expenses of the vessels and for purchases of return cargoes. He adds that, as the proceeds will be required before the advice of the sales could reach him, we are to hold them at your order, reserving enough to pay all bills drawn on us by either of the above-named gentlemen. This explanation, we trust, will remove your misapprehension of our position on the matter in question. The gold which Mr. Walker requests us to send him, he states, is required for current expenses, and cannot be obtained in Bermuda, owing to the absence of banking institutions there. With respect to coal, not knowing that Mr. Walker looked to us for supplies, we had merely sent a cargo or two on our own account, from time to time. His letter of the 28th July, however, tells us to ship him at least six hundred or eight hundred tons per month, with an additional supply to accumulate a reserve of two thousand or three thousand tons. We are making arrangements to send this quantity pending his confirmation of it as a direct order, in which case his account would simply be debited with the cost at Cardiff and the usual charges. We regret that we cannot give you an exact statement of the result of all the cottons received for account of the ordnance department at the present moment. We can only pass the net proceeds to the credit of your account with the authorized reservation, as each shipment is closed, and the accounts sales made out. We shall be glad to furnish you meanwhile with an approximative memoranda, as before, if this will assist you. Cottons have been arriving freely of late at Bermuda, and Mr. Walker avises us of some large shipments, which, on arrival and sale, should leave a very considerable available balance at your order. We are, dear sir, yours, respectfully, CALEB HUSE, Esq., FRASER, TRENHOLM & CO., 25 Grand Rue Auteuil, Paris. Colonel Gorgas to Major Huse. ORDNANCE OFFICE, Richmond, September 12, 1863. MAJOR: Since first of the year to date, upward of six thousand bales of cotton have been exported to Bermuda for account of the orduance department, and Major Walker writes that, up to 1st ultimo, some two thousand eight hundred had gone forward to Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co. Will you have the goodness to advise me how much has reached England, and what amount such arrivals have netted, and to keep me posted in the future. I desire the information asked for in the following shape: Received by ship Oden'. Your obedient servant, bales of cotton, net £- Major Walker to Major Huse. ST. GEORGE'S, BERMUDA, MAJOR: Permit me to direct your attention to the inclosed requisition of Colonel George W. Rains, Augusta arsenal. These articles seem to be urgently needed, and I hope you will give it your attention in making up your next cargo. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, N. S. WALKER. Major Mallet to Major Huse. MACON, GEORGIA, September 16, 1863. MAJOR: In December last I prepared a list of laboratory stores needed for a six months' supply of the Confederate States arsenals—such stores being either not to be had within the confederacy, or only to be procured at such extravagant prices, and in such small quantities, as to render it desirable to import them from Europe. This list was forwarded to you by Colonel Gorgas, chief of ordnance, and many of the stores named upon it have lately arrived or are arriving. Our supplies having, however, in the mean time become greatly reduced, and it being probable that as much delay will attend importation in the future as in the past, I have lately submitted to Colonel Gorgas the propriety of forwarding to you another list of laboratory stores likely to be needed, so that these may be gradually procured and shipped, thus providing against future wants. I am to-day in receipt of a telegram from Colonel Gorgas, directing me to submit the list in question at once, and to forward a duplicate copy of the same direct to you. I have the honor to transmit herewith inclosed such duplicate list, and trust that you will find it clear and intelligible. You will find it to contain many articles which were on my former list, and which you have already shipped. I have noted one or two articles of which you have made shipments, and which we do not need, having a sufficient supply. I may be permitted to remark, that in any small-arms ammunition you may hereafter send over, (prepared cartridges,) the caps should be put up in the cartridge bundles-twelve caps to ten cartridges. This saves much trouble and confusion, and aids in the enforcement of a rule established for the arsenals, that no small-arms ammunition should ever be sent out without caps. Neglect of this rule produced very bad effects at Vicksburgh. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. W. MALLET, Major. Colonel Gorgas to Major Huse. ORDNANCE OFFICE, Richmond, September 17, 1863. MAJOR: On the 12th instant I wrote you that one of the 600-pounder Blakeley guns, ex Gibraltar,* had burst on the very first discharge at Charleston, and I instructed you to withhold payment for the guns if you had not yet made it, and to give notice, if you had already made it, that, on proper evidence of the fact of the bursting at the first discharge, return of the money would be demanded. I hear that the guns may have been bought by private parties. If, however, you yourself bought them, I would be glad to hear what steps were taken to procure from Captain Blakeley the directions as to loading and firing. Your obedient servant, J. GORGAS. Colonel Gorgas to Major Huse. ORDNANCE OFFICE, Richmond, September 28, 1863. MAJOR: Attached find list of gun-carriage machinery or tools wanted. Please to purchase some, (in consultation with Colonel Burton, if he has not already left England,) if not already done, and ship as soon as possible. The steamer Phantom, one of our line from Bermuda, was chased ashore by the enemy, at mouth of the Cape Fear River, last week. Ship and cargo are, 1 fear, a total loss. This is the first accident yet experi enced, and our luck has been too good to complain now, though the loss is severely felt. The Phantom was a recent purchase-the vessel for which Major Walker valued on you for £1,500. Your obedient servant, J. GORGAS. *See vol. VI, p. 203. Major Smith to Major Huse. ORDNANCE BUREAU, Richmond, September 30, 1863. MAJOR: Inclosed please find original of war warrant No. 3387, for £100,000, upon C. J. McRae, Confederate States depositary, in your favor. By order. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, EDWARD B. SMITH, Major. Colonel Gorgas to Major Huse. ORDNANCE BUREAU, Richmond, October 3, 1863. MAJOR: I telegraphed you yesterday through Mr. J. M. Seixas, special agent war department at Wilmington, as follows: "Send some of government stores to Nassau, as navigation from that point to Wilmington is more safe than from Bermuda at this season of the year." I have now to confirm same. Pilots and captains say that, during the entire winter season, there is less sea-risk between Nassau and Wilmington than between Bermuda and Wilmington. The saving on coal from Nassau is of itself a very considerable item. As a regular depot has been established at Bermuda, you will, however, make the bulk of your consignments to that point. At Nassau you will correspond with Mr. L. Heyliger. Your obedient servant, J. GORGAS. Major Walker to Major Huse. ST. GEORGE'S, BERMUDA, MAJOR I have before me your favor of the 4th ultimo from Paris. Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co. will hereafter keep me fully supplied with coal, so you need not give the matter any further attention. I hope that you will be able to resume your contract with the Mercantile Trading Company.* In any event, I have the refusal of the five hundred tons saltpeter to which you allude, on arrival at this port. I have still to regret that the demands upon me from home require me to make heavy drafts against shipments of cotton. I have now in hand funds sufficient to pay my way for two months, so that the next two thousand or two thousand five hundred bales of cotton to arrive will be free from all incumbrance, and at your disposal. You need have no apprehension with regard to the changes in the government steamers. There is no danger whatever of their ever being forbidden the use of this harbor. The Lemuella has arrived without any documentary evidence ever having been received here of the ownership of her cargo. Neither has any invoice or manifest come to hand. *See Vol. VI, pp. 134, 138, and 140. Some apprehension is felt with regard to the safety of the Cornubia. I inclose several letters which have recently been received for you. I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant, N. S. WALKER. General Moore to Major Huse. SURGEON GENERAL'S OFFICE, SIR: I have to state, for your information, that the medical department of the Confederate States army has now on hand a supply of cotton to the value of $1,500,000. This cotton is to be used in payment of such bills in England as may be made by you in purchasing medical and hospital supplies, and it is securely stored in such localities as to be entirely safe from any attempts of the enemy to seize or destroy it. The medical department has also drafts on England for £30,000, to be used for the same purpose. Medical purveyors are now purchasing cotton, which will make an additional supply of about one million pounds. These funds, &c., will be forwarded subject to your order as opportunity may occur. I have to request that you continue to make purchases and ship them in divided lots, so that each shipment shall consist of a portion of each article of supply, so that, in the event of capture or loss by sea, the whole of any one article may not be lost. See letter from this office August 20, 1863. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. V. MOORE, Surgeon General C. S. A. Mr. Prioleau to Major Huse. LIVERPOOL, October 14, 1863. MY DEAR FRIEND: I have yours of 12th this afternoon. Send S. H. & Co. an order for the £3,000, and we will pay it; then hold off until we tell you to go ahead again. Touching the Gibraltar,* formerly Sumter, did you not advise the gov ernment that you had taken her for the war department? They do not understand it out there, and you must come here and settle it somehow as early as you conveniently can. I will adopt either of three courses which you may prefer: 1. To ignore our ownership altogether, and consider her always the property of the government. 2. To sell her to the government at a fair valuation on her leaving here. 3. To keep her as our own from the time of purchase in Gibraltar, and charge you the regular rate of freight for the voyage to Wilmington, say £60 per ton. The first is the best plan, I think. Certainly for the government it is. Of course you know that it was not she that was sunk in this harbor. She was at Wilmington lately, and before she is lost or returns here, the matter ought to be arranged. Yours, truly, When do you think you will likely come? *See vol. II, pp. 507-538; vol. VI, pp. C. H. PRIOLEAU. 194-204. |