[Illustration: Caleb Huse] DEAR SIR:-- In the Summer of 1903, two friends of Major Huse were hospitablyentertained by him at his charming home, "The Rocks, " on the Hudson, just south of West Point, and, during their visit, were greatlyinterested in listening to his recital of some of his experiences asagent in Europe for purchasing army supplies for the Confederate Statesduring the Civil war. I was so impressed by this unique bit of history that I succeeded, aftermuch urging, in inducing him to write it, believing that it should bepreserved, and knowing that no one else could furnish it. His four years' experience would, if fully told, fill a large volume, but this brief recital is all that can be hoped for. I am sending you herewith a copy of this pamphlet. If you wish to keepit, please send 25 cents in enclosed coin card. If you do not want it, please return it flat by pasting the enclosed stamped and addressedenvelope on the enclosing envelope. Yours truly, J. S. ROGERS. Room 118, Barristers Hall, 15 Pemberton Square, Boston, Mass. THE SUPPLIES FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY HOW THEY WERE OBTAINED IN EUROPEAND HOW PAID FOR PERSONAL REMINISCENCES ANDUNPUBLISHED HISTORY BY CALEB HUSE MAJOR AND PURCHASING AGENT, C. S. A. BOSTON PRESS OF T. R. MARVIN & SON 1904 BY JAMES S. ROGERS BOSTON, MASS. In the Summer of 1903, two friends of Major Huse were hospitablyentertained by him at his charming home, "The Rocks, " on the Hudson, just south of West Point, and, during their visit, were greatlyinterested in listening to his recital of some of his experiences asagent in Europe for purchasing army supplies for the Confederate Statesduring the Civil war. So impressed were they by this unique bit of history that theysucceeded, after much urging, in inducing him to write it, believingthat it should be preserved, and knowing that no one else could furnishit. His four years' experience would, if fully told, fill a large volume, but this brief recital is all that can be hoped for. If the cost of publication is not met by the nominal price charged forthis pamphlet, the satisfaction of preserving the record in print willcompensate for any loss sustained by the TWO FRIENDS. _August, 1904. _ REMINISCENCES On my return in May, 1860, from a six months' leave of absence spent inEurope, I found an appointment as professor of chemistry and commandantof cadets in the University of Alabama awaiting my acceptance. During myabsence the President of the University and a committee of the Board ofTrustees visited West Point and the Virginia Military Institute and, pleased with the discipline of both institutions, decided to adopt themilitary system, and applied to Colonel Delafield, then theSuperintendent at West Point, for an officer to start them. Col. Delafield gave them my name but was unable to say whether or not I wouldresign from the army. I was then a first lieutenant of artillery; and, as such, was on the rolls of the garrison of Fort Sumter. I accepted the position and began my duties in September. My leave ofabsence had expired in May; but the authorities of the University, fearing that I might regret severing irrevocably my connection with thearmy--which I had entered as a cadet at sixteen--obtained from theSecretary of War an extension of the leave till May, 1861, when I was toresign if all was satisfactory at that time. It is proper to mention here that the introduction of military drill anddiscipline at the State University had no connection whatever with anysecession movement in Alabama, and the fact that a Massachusetts-bornman and of Puritan descent was selected to inaugurate the system, will, or ought to be, accepted as confirmatory of this assertion. Discipline was almost at an end at the University, and in seeking waysand means for restoring it, the attention of the Faculty and Trusteeswas directed to the Virginia Military Institute which had been insuccessful operation for about fifty years. As this institution had beenorganized by a graduate of West Point, and in some respects resembledthe United States Military Academy, it was hoped that in Alabama goodresults might be secured by the adoption of similar methods. Military drill is taught at the present time in many schools andcolleges, but the intention of the Alabama University authorities wasnot merely to drill students, but to hold them under military restraint, as is effectually done at West Point, and, I may add, as cannot be donein any college designed to qualify young men to become civilian membersof a great republic. West Point and Annapolis have proved themselves noble institutions forthe purpose for which they were designed--that of training young men tobecome officers over other men--but the mission of these schools is notto fit young men for civil life. Their methods cannot be grafted uponliterary or technical civil institutions, and it is not desirable thatthey should be applied to civil colleges or schools of any kind. But theUniversity of Alabama was a military college so far as concerneddiscipline, and to this end I was given a Colonel's commission by theGovernor of the State, with two assistants, one a major, the other acaptain. Tents, arms and infantry equipments were purchased of theUnited States Government, and a uniform similar to that of the WestPoint cadets was adopted. The students were assembled on the first ofSeptember, and a camp established on the University grounds. Drills wereinaugurated at once and regular camp duties were required and performed. Everything seemed to be progressing very satisfactorily till one day, some three weeks after the pitching of the camp, the President of theUniversity (Dr. Garland) desired to see me at his office. On entering Ifound him and a trusted professor awaiting my coming, with disturbedlooks. No time was wasted in the preliminaries; Dr. Garland came to thepoint at once by telling me that there was a mutiny brewing in my campwhich it would be impossible for me to quell. He then explained that thecadets were dissatisfied because I was a northern-born man; that theycalled me a d----d Yankee, and intended running me out of the State. Hethought they would be successful, for the ringleaders were old studentswho had given a great deal of trouble before I came, and, what made thematter worse, these students were sons of influential men in the State, and the mothers of the mutineers were encouraging them. I asked if any of the Trustees or the Faculty wished me to resign andwas assured of the contrary. I then said that, but for one thing, Ishould have no hesitation in resigning. The cadets, backed by theirfamilies, had threatened to run me out of the State; I should put uponthem the responsibility of executing their threat; I should not resign. I went back to camp and never heard anything more about the "mutiny. " I mention this incident only to show the feeling existing in an extremesouthern State at that time--less than two months before the election ofPresident Lincoln. The story of the intended mutiny was well founded, and was only onephase of the general feeling of unrest throughout Alabama. But, even atthat time, which was within six weeks of election day, the idea ofsecession did not prevail. Probably had its people been called upon tovote on the question, there would have been a very large majorityagainst secession. After the election in November the unrest manifestlyincreased, and conservative men began to consider secession possible andeven probable. At the University there was no excitement. Instruction went on as usualand the era of orderly deportment, begun in camp, continued, much to thesatisfaction of every one and especially to the citizens of Tuscaloosa. But military discipline, to which, as admitted by every one, theimproved deportment was due, added to the outgo of the Universitywithout materially increasing its income, and the only hope of obtainingmoney to meet the increased expenses was through an appropriation by theLegislature. To secure this, President Garland proposed that thebattalion of Cadets--for so the students were called--should go toMontgomery and be reviewed by the Governor and by the Legislature, whichwas then in session. This idea was strongly opposed not only by members of the Faculty but bymen whose sons were in the University. The fear prevailed that thestudents would be unmanageable under the many temptations whichMontgomery would afford, and that even the well-meant hospitality of thecitizens, which was sure to be generous, would cause trouble. Whether tomake the trip or not was left to my decision. I decided withouthesitation in favor of the expedition, and arrangements were made fortwo steamboats, one to take us down the Black Warrior, the other for thejourney up the Alabama to Montgomery. In Mobile the cadets were cordially received, and conducted themselvesto my entire satisfaction. On the steamboats their behavior was all thatcould be desired, and in Montgomery everybody was proud of theirappearance and deportment. For sleeping accommodations the cadetscarried their own blankets and turned in on the floor of a large hall. Camp discipline was maintained and perfect order prevailed. The battalion was reviewed in front of the State House by the Governorand both Houses of the Legislature, and everything passed off mostsatisfactorily. In the evening, after the review, a committee of theLegislature called on me and asked what I wanted. The reply was: Anannual appropriation so long as the military organization was maintainedat the University. I remember that a cousin of Senator John P. Hale of New Hampshire (oneof the most pronounced abolitionists of the country) was a member ofthe committee. He said to me: "Now you come up to the House tomorrow andsee how we will put this matter through. " I did so, and certainly it was"put through, " for, while I was there the bill was given all itsreadings--the rules being suspended for the purpose--and it was taken tothe Senate and similarly rushed. The Governor signed it, and the nextday the cadets started on their return home. We had left Tuscaloosa in a heavy rain-storm, escorted to thesteamboat--some two miles--by the Montgomery Guards. The trip had beenentirely successful and there had not been a case of misbehavior fromstart to finish. Of course drinking was the one thing to be feared, andwhen one considers all the temptations on the steamboats and in Mobileand Montgomery, it is a little remarkable that there were no infractionsof the rules, one of which was that no cadet should enter a bar-room onpain of instant dismissal. As already stated, I went to the University of Alabama under leave ofabsence which was to terminate in May, 1861. In February I received anorder revoking the unexpired portion of my leave and directing me toreport for duty in Washington. I replied that my leave was granted withthe understanding that I was to resign at its expiration, and as I sawno reason to alter my determination, I offered my resignation. There wasno expectation on my part that my future would be any other than such asmy position as professor in the University of Alabama would occasion. My resignation was accepted February 25th. In April--I think it wasApril 1st--I received a telegram from the Confederate States Secretaryof the Navy Mallory, to "come to Montgomery and take a commission foractive service. " I think I am quoting the words of the message. Istarted without delay, and on arriving in Montgomery was introduced toSecretary of War Walker, who soon said to me: "The President hasdesignated you to go to Europe for the purchase of arms and militarysupplies; when can you go?" I replied that, of course, I could goimmediately, but if any preparations were to be made which wouldrequire time, I should like to return to my family before starting. "Take ten days, " said he. "Be back here at the end of that time. " I wasthen introduced to Col. Gorgas, Chief of Ordnance, to whom I was toreport. I returned to Tuscaloosa and early in the morning of the tenth day of myleave of absence, I drove into Montgomery on the top of a stage-coach. When near the town we met a man on horseback who shouted that Beauregardhad opened fire on Sumter. By this I know that it was April 12th. Therewas naturally much excitement in Montgomery, especially about the Warand Navy Departments. On reporting to Col. Gorgas, I found that no arrangements had been madefor my going to Europe. I had no orders and did not know what I was todo for money. I called on the Secretary of the Treasury, Meminger, buthe knew nothing about my going abroad. "When are you going?" said he. Ireplied that if I expected to get through the North, I had no time tolose; and it was finally arranged that he should provide me with moneyfor my trip to New York, where I should receive funds for my journey toEurope. During my interview he remarked that he had no money; and itwould appear that the statement was literally true, for it is difficultto conceive from what source, so soon after its organization, a newGovernment could derive any revenue. Before leaving Montgomery, Mr. Davis called me to his office and askedme to be seated while he received his callers, saying he wanted to talkwith me about my mission, and that ideas would come to him between hisinterviews with his callers. I took the chair assigned me, and while hewas reading the pile of letters which lay open before him, the callersbegan to come in. I do not recall any of the conversation which tookplace, but I remember clearly one incident which some may say wascharacteristic of the man. Looking over a letter of four full-sizedpages, and standing up with some show of irritation, he said, "I wishpeople would not write me advice, " and he tore the letter in two; and, repeating the remark, tore it into small bits which he threw upon thefloor. He mentioned the name of the writer, who, I knew, was a friendand neighbor. I may be permitted to narrate a personal incident which occurred beforeI left Montgomery. One evening about sunset, while I was waiting in theoffice of the Secretary of War, for the comparatively insignificant sumof money to be provided for my expenses to England, Mr. Davis greeted meas Major. I replied: "I might ask, Mr. President, in what regiment, "having in mind the well known anecdote of the subaltern who, on handingthe Emperor Napoleon his chapeau which had fallen, was thanked under thetitle of captain. Mr. Davis then explained the principle he had laiddown for himself in appointing officers who had been in the U. S. Army. It was to advance no one more than one grade. He said that Beauregardwas only a captain of engineers, and had been made a brigadier general;but in this, the rule had not been violated, for, by serving at WestPoint as superintendent although for a few days only--five, as shown bythe records--he was a colonel in the army, and had, therefore, beenadvanced but one grade. Mr. Davis remarked that there were officersenough for all field purposes, but the trouble was to find men qualifiedto prepare the army for its work. I had arranged to pass through Charleston in order that I might visitSumter and see the effect of the artillery fire upon it. Arriving inCharleston in the evening I went to Morris Island the following morning, and from there in a row-boat to Sumter, accompanied by two youngartillery captains. We were all young in those days; I was just thirty, and these young men were my juniors by some years. They had both beenunder my instruction as cadets at West Point when I was on duty there, but I cannot now recall their names. On our return from Sumter, we threelay on the warm sand near the shore, and naturally the conversation waschiefly on the events of the last few days. In the course of our talk, Iremarked, "What in the world made Anderson surrender the fort?" For inmy opinion it was no more damaged for defence than a brick wall wouldbe by a boy's snapping marbles against it. As for anything theConfederate artillery could bring to bear upon it, it was literallyimpregnable--as shown by the fact that with all the resources of theUnited States army and navy it was never retaken. The wooden quartershad taken fire, and, for a time doubtless, the fort was a veryuncomfortable place, and it was feared that the magazine would explode. But when Anderson surrendered all that danger had passed. Major Anderson was a gallant officer who had proved his efficiency andbravery in the Mexican War, for which he was rewarded with two brevets;but for one who saw Sumter as I did, shortly after its surrender, whennothing had been changed since Anderson saluted his flag and marched hiscommand on board the Confederate steamer Isabel, it is impossible tounderstand why the surrender should have been made when it was. Eventually his command might have been starved out. But although forseveral days it was short of some kinds of desirable food, and destituteof fresh provisions, there remained several barrels of pork which hetook with him when he left. Not only was no assault ever made, but theenemy had no boats or scaling ladders with which to attempt an assault, as Anderson must have known. If the United States Government deliberately intended to force a war andthus settle once for all the entire question between the North and theSouth, no strategy could have been more effectual than that ofsacrificing Sumter exactly as it was sacrificed. The whole affair couldnot have been arranged with greater shrewdness and finesse. Anderson andhis officers--without an exception, gallant and competent--were made toappear as heroes and, in a sense, they were; the North was completely_unified_, and the same can be said of the South. The lines were nowdistinctly and definitely drawn, and every man from Maine to Georgiamust declare for the Government or against it. War began such as no mancould have foretold and such as could not cease till one side or theother should be completely exhausted. From Charleston I went to Baltimore by the Bay Line steamers fromNorfolk, arriving on Sunday morning--the day that the men who had beenkilled the Friday previous were to be buried. The excitement wasintense, but the city was quiet--uncomfortably quiet. No one knew whatnext to expect. I was for my own part, concerned only about getting toNew York. There were no trains running, bridges having been burned, andno one could say when railway traffic would be resumed. There were a few other travelers bound northward who were eager tocontinue their journey. Two of these--young men fromCharleston--approached me cautiously with a proposal that we threeshould hire a carriage to take us to York, Pa. , and we arranged to go. Before we were ready to start, an elderly gentleman asked to bepermitted to join the party. He was a large, handsome man, and wasanxious to get to Philadelphia as soon as possible, to see a daughterwho lay at the point of death. The new comer would be a serious additionto the weight in our carriage, but I had reason to be thankful that weaccommodated him, as will appear later. After starting, it was determined--why I cannot now say--to go to Havrede Grace, instead of York. On our arrival in the evening, we found theferry boat had been taken to convey troops to Annapolis, and there wasnothing to be done but wait. We all found comfortable lodgings at asmall hotel, and in the morning a flat boat took us across toPerryville. Among the passengers were several men and women who, as soon as the boatlanded, collected on the piazza of a little country hotel near thelanding and began singing patriotic songs. They were apparentlyoverjoyed at their escape from the south-land. At Perryville there was a large wooden shed which served as a railwaystation; employees were standing about, but none could give anyinformation concerning the trains, all of which, they said, had beentaken by the Government. Before noon, however, a long train camethundering into the station, and immediately men in uniform poured outof the cars and ran to the water-side, where they bathed their faces andhands. They were going to the front. The same train was soon ready toreturn to Philadelphia and all who desired to go were accommodated. It was impossible to get farther than Philadelphia that day. The nextmorning, on taking my seat in the train, I recognized the gentlemandirectly behind me as the Hon. Caleb Cushing. I did not accost him, notcaring to meet acquaintances just then, and, moreover, I had no reasonto think that he knew me, for although we were born in the sametown, --Newburyport, Mass. , --he was a distinguished public man when I wasa boy. The route from Philadelphia to New York was by the way of Camden toSouth Amboy, and thence by steamboat. The latter was a ferry boat withroom for teams on each side of the engine. There were no teams on board, and, as I had been sitting for some time, and now that we were nearingNew York where I was likely at any moment to meet an acquaintance, I wasa little nervous, I walked about the lower deck. In doing so I met Mr. Cushing face to face. He was passing the time in a similar manner. Ilifted my cap, as I would to any superior officer, or public man. Immediately Mr. Cushing stopped and said: "Good morning, Mr. Huse, you are with the South, I understand. " For the moment I was staggered, but quickly calling to mind that Mr. Cushing had been chairman of the Charleston Democratic Convention whichnominated John C. Breckenridge for President, I replied: "Yes, sir, what chance do you think the South has?" "What chance can it have?" he said, "the money is all in the North; themanufactories are all in the North; the ships are all in the North; thearms and arsenals are all in the North; the arsenals of Europe arewithin ten days of New York, and they will be open to the United StatesGovernment, and closed to the South; and the Southern ports will beblockaded. What possible chance can the South have?" There was nothingfor me to say in reply, and I probably did the best I could have doneunder the circumstances. Looking him squarely in the eye, I lifted mycap and said: "Good morning, Mr. Cushing. " I never saw him afterwards. On landing at the Battery, I gave my baggage checks to an expressman, taking his receipt and telling him to hold the baggage till called for. As it might be very important not to be recognized, I took theprecaution to leave no trail by my baggage, which was taken to Liverpoollater by one of the young men who had been my carriage companion fromBaltimore. I went at once to the Bank of the Republic, where I was tofind letters which would enable me to obtain money for my voyage. I was told to call for Mr. S----, the cashier of the bank. On his comingto the window, I asked if he had any letters from Montgomery. His faceimmediately showed real fear. Opening a door near by, he said, "Comein, " and I found myself in the bank parlor. He immediately locked thedoor, pulled down the window shades and then asked, "Now what is it?" In the brief time occupied in drawing down the shades, etc. , Idetermined what to do, and replied, -- "I see, Mr. S. , that you are much agitated by my visit, and I will notfurther compromise you by giving you my name; but if you have anyletters from Montgomery, which you do not recognize, will you be goodenough to send them around to Trenholm Brothers, in Pine Street. " He assured me he would, and I bade him good morning. As I was leaving hesaid there was intense excitement on the street; Anderson's command hadjust marched up Broadway and aroused the greatest enthusiasm. I hadobserved a small United States flag near the entrance, and Mr. S. Saidhe believed if that flag were not at the door, the mob would attack thebank. At the office of Trenholm Brothers I inquired for Mr. Wellsman, and wasshown into an inner room where I met a large, middle-aged man bearing astriking resemblance to the white-haired gentleman who had been one ofthe party from Baltimore to Havre de Grace. I introduced myself bysaying that Captain Wellsman was my travelling companion from Baltimoreon Sunday. "He is my father, " said Mr. Wellsman. I told him of meeting Capt. Wellsman at the Philadelphia station that morning, and that he asked meto say he had found his daughter much better than he expected, and theynow had hopes of her recovery. I then explained to him that I was anofficer of the Confederate States Army, on my way to Europe to purchasearms and other army supplies; that I was to be provided with fundsthrough Fraser, Trenholm & Co. , Liverpool, and expected to get moneyfrom Trenholm Brothers for the expenses of the voyage. Mr. Wellsman hadno letters for me, and had received no information from Montgomeryconcerning me. Having no money for my voyage, the situation was becomingserious. Excusing himself after a short time, Mr. Wellsman left the office, andreturning within half an hour, was even more alarmed than Mr. S. Hadappeared to be. He said the excitement was very great, and that hebelieved if the crowd discovered my business, they would hang me to alamp-post; I must not leave the office till I started for the train. What did I propose to do? I ought not to think of sailing from New York. I replied that I would go to Canada and take the steamer from Montreal. But I could not sail from anywhere without money. "You can have the money, " said Mr. Wellsman. "How much do you want?" "Five hundred dollars. " "And you want it in gold?" "Yes. " He procured the gold, ordered some lunch to be brought, and about threeo'clock I started for the Erie Railway station. Sometimes we entertainangels unawares. Captain Wellsman seems to have been a veritable angel. The simple, verbal message that I carried to his son served me as aletter of credit. Without it, I cannot now see what I could have done. Ten years after the war, when I met an old friend, he assured me that hewould have had me arrested, had he known my mission while I was in NewYork. When I left the office of Trenholm Brothers, a man on the sidewalksignaled to another on the opposite side of Pine street, and one ofthese men sat opposite me on the ferry-boat. Whether or not they wereshadowing me I never knew. I saw nothing more of them after leaving theboat, and had no further adventures till I reached Turner's, wheretrains stop for supper. In the restaurant, I recognized a number offriends, and my only prudent course was to go without my supper or seekit elsewhere. I chose the latter, and got what I could at a bar near by. I had no baggage--not even an overcoat--and the night was cold. I was inan ordinary day-coach on my way to Hamilton, Canada. Through trains werenot so frequent then as now, and in Buffalo I had to wait some time, much of which I passed in seeing the town. While walking in a retiredpart of the city, I just escaped meeting an officer of the army whom Iknew, by turning down a cross street. At Hamilton I purchased clothing for the voyage, and was disappointed tofind that I should have to wait several days for the next steamer fromMontreal; I therefore decided to sail from Portland, but delayedpurchasing my ticket till I could take the last train that would reachthat city in time to board the steamer. This train went only to StateLine on the day it left Hamilton, where I stopped over night. I rememberthe place from the fact that, although late in April, I was obliged tobreak the ice in my pitcher the next morning, when I started on whatproved to be my last journey in the United States for several years. Atnearly every stopping place on the way to Portland, men in uniform andfully equipped entered the cars. We were picking up a regiment underorders for the front. We finally arrived, and my ship was in sight at anchor. I confess to afeeling of relief when I stepped on board from the tug, and that feelingwas enhanced when we weighed anchor and the screw began pushing us outinto the neutral territory of the broad Atlantic. There were few passengers, and the voyage was without incident save oneof no importance except as tending to confirm the theory of transmissionof thought without language. My table-neighbor was a young sea-captainfrom Maine, who was returning to his vessel, which he had left inLiverpool some weeks before, to confer with the owners. One day at dinner, without any previous conversation whatever to leadeven indirectly to such a remark, he said: "I believe you are going toEurope to buy arms for Jeff. Davis. " I was in the act of taking a piece of potato on my fork, and, to gaintime before answering, I passed the potato to my mouth and then madeabout as foolish a reply as was possible, saying, "If he wanted arms hewould be likely to select a man who knew something about arms. " Thecaptain immediately remarked, "Sometimes those fellows that know themost, say the least. " I could think of nothing to say to advantage, andsaid nothing; the matter was never referred to again. On arriving in London I went to what was then a favorite hotel forAmericans, --Morley's in Trafalgar Square. The remark of the ship-captaininterested me, and I resolved to probe the matter a little by calling ona gentleman with whom I had conversed more freely than with any otherpassenger. He was a lawyer from Portland, who in his younger days hadtaught school in Mississippi. He was stopping at a near-by hotel on theStrand. On meeting him, I asked if he knew the object of my visit toEurope. He replied he had not the slightest idea why I was there. I thentold him of the captain's remark, and that his surmise was correct. I amvery sure that, during the voyage, I said nothing from which the natureof my business could be inferred; and as for papers, I had received nonesince leaving Montgomery. My orders were to purchase 12, 000 rifles and a battery of fieldartillery, and to procure one or two guns of larger calibre as models. Ashort time before the beginning of the war, the London Armory Companyhad purchased a plant of gun-stocking machinery from the AmesManufacturing Company of Chicopee, Mass. Knowing this, I went to theoffice of the Armory Company the day after my arrival in London, withthe intention of securing, if possible, their entire output. On entering the Superintendent's office, I found there the Americanengineer who superintended the erection of the plant. I had known him inChicopee. Suspecting he might be an agent for the purchase of arms forthe United States Government, I asked him, bluntly, if he was, andadded, "I am buying for the Confederate Government. " Such a disclosureof my business may seem to have been indiscreet, but at that time Ithought it my best plan, and the result proved that I was right. He madeno reply to my inquiry, but I was satisfied my suspicion was correct andresolved on the spot, to flank his movement if possible. As he had entered the office first, it was in order for me to outstayhim, which I did. On his leaving, I asked for a price for all the smallarms the Company could manufacture. The Superintendent said he could not answer me, but would refer me tothe Chairman of the Company, --President, we should call him--and wouldaccompany me to his office. There I repeated my inquiry for a price forall the arms the Company could make for a year, with the privilege ofrenewing the order. The President was not prepared to give me a price, but would do so the next day. On calling at his office the followingday, he told me that the Company was under contract for all the arms itcould turn out, and considering all the circumstances, the Directorsfelt they ought to give their present customer the preference over allothers. Confirmed in my belief that my competitor was no other than the man whomI had encountered the day before, I was now more determined than ever tosecure the London Armory as a Confederate States arms factory. TheAtlantic cable was not then laid, and correspondence by mail requirednearly a month--an unreasonable time for a commercial company to hold inabeyance a desirable opportunity for profit. Within a few days Isucceeded in closing a contract under which I was to have all the armsthe Company could manufacture, after filling a comparatively small orderfor the United States agent. This Company, during the remainder of thewar, turned all its output of arms over to me for the Confederate army. Baring Brothers were, at that time, the London financial agents for theUnited States Government, and they would unquestionably have beensupported and gratefully thanked, had they assumed the responsibility ofcontracting for all the arms in sight in England. Any army officer, fitfor such a mission as that of buying arms for a great Government at theoutbreak of a war, would have acted, if necessary, without instructions, and secured everything that he could find in the line of essentials, especially arms, of which there were very few in the market. There were_muskets_ enough to be had for almost any reasonable offer, but ofmodern Enfield or Springfield rifles--which were practically thesame--there were only a few thousand in England, and none elsewhereexcept in Austria, where all were owned by the Government. And, according to Mr. Cushing, these would be available by the United Statesbut impossible of purchase by "the South. " Yet even so high an authorityas Ex-Attorney General Cushing proved to be wrong in his assumption, aswill be shown below. Any young, intelligent West Point graduate holding an army commissionand as fearless in assuming responsibility as the average "graduate, "would not only have prevented my making this important contract, butwould have blocked my efforts in every direction; for in all Europe thesupply of arms ready for use or possible of manufacture was verylimited. Such an officer would have secured everything worth having--inother words, all the best--and only inferior arms of antiquated modelwould have been left for the Confederacy. The effect would have been notonly to give the United States good arms in profusion, but utterly todiscourage their opponents by the inferiority of their weapons. Mr. Davis did not make the great mistake of sending a civil agent topurchase supplies--a duty as thoroughly military as any that could benamed--nor the still greater blunder of setting several men to do whatone man, with uncontrolled authority, could do so much better. Doubtlesshe could have found men who would have performed the duty as well as didthe young officer whom he selected, and some who would have done theirpart better; but, during the whole war, no change was made, although notto remove him often required that firmness--not to say obstinacy--whichwas a prominent trait of Mr. Davis's character, and which, right orwrong, but especially when he was right, he exercised to a remarkabledegree. When I arrived in England, the Confederate States Government was alreadyrepresented by Hon. William L. Yancey, Commissioner to England; hissecretary, Mr. Walker Fearn, afterwards United States Minister toGreece; Judge Rost, of New Orleans, Commissioner to France, with his sonas secretary; and Mr. Dudley Mann, commonly known as Col. Mann, who heldan appointment as Commissioner, but to what country I do not know. Later, Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, afterwards United States Secretary of theInterior, and later still Justice of the United States Supreme Court, was appointed Commissioner to Russia, but he went no further than Paris, and returned to Richmond before the end of the war. Commander James D. Bulloch, previously of the United States Navy, whose sister was themother of President Roosevelt, was in charge of all naval matters. Messrs. Fraser, Trenholm & Co. , of Liverpool, were the fiscal agents. All these representatives worked in complete harmony, without jealousyor clashing of opinion; each was ready to assist the others in every waypossible. They were all cultured men, of agreeable personality, and asfar removed from the _genus homo_ which has been designated as"hot-headed Southerner, " as can well be imagined. They livedunostentatiously, in modest, but entirely respectable lodgings in theWest End, London, except Judge Rost, who resided in Paris, and CommanderBulloch, who made his headquarters in Liverpool. None of therepresentatives of the Confederate Government required much money in thedischarge of his duties, except Commander Bulloch and myself. We wereboth to look to Fraser, Trenholm & Co. , for all the money we were toexpend, as indeed were all the diplomatic agents. The fiscal system was, almost of necessity, of the most simplecharacter. Fraser, Trenholm & Co. , of Liverpool, John Fraser & Co. , ofCharleston, S. C, and Trenholm Brothers, of New York, were practicallyone concern, and the senior member of John Fraser & Co. , Mr. WilliamTrenholm, became Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury early inthe war. Mr. Wellsman, senior member of Trenholm Brothers, in New York, joined the Liverpool house, the senior member and manager of which wasCharles K. Prioleau, formerly of Charleston. There was no loan tonegotiate; for the Confederacy--recognized only as belligerents--had nocredit among nations, and no system of taxation by which it could hopeto derive any revenue available for purchasing supplies abroad. But itpossessed a latent purchasing power such as probably no other Governmentin history ever had. The cotton crop of its people was a prime necessity for themanufacturing world outside, and, for want of machinery, was utterlyvalueless in all the Southern States except Georgia, where there were afew small factories. Almost immediately after the outbreak ofhostilities the Confederate authorities began to buy cotton, paying insuch "money" as it had; that is to say, its own promises to pay wheneverit could. Some of these promises bore interest and were called _bonds_;some bore no interest, and these constituted the currency of thecountry. The cotton, as it lay on the plantations or in the warehouses, was forsale, and the Government was almost the only buyer. To all others therewas a difficulty, amounting almost to impossibility, in getting cottonto market. Some, no doubt, was smuggled across the border, to theadvantage of "patriots" of each side; but this outlet for a bulkyarticle like cotton was altogether inadequate, and, practically, everyone was compelled by the very condition of affairs, without theapplication of even moral force, to sell to the Government and receivein payment the best that the Government had to offer; namely: its ownpromises to pay, which, whether stated as a condition of the promise ornot, could not be made good till after the favorable close of the war. If the South failed, the promises would be valueless; if it succeeded, the obligations would be met as promptly as possible. The situation wasaccepted by the people, and the Government acquired cotton and shippedit to Nassau, Bermuda, and Havana as fast as it could. To get cotton through the blockading squadron called for daring andskill; but there seems to have been no lack of either, and it was notlong before every steam vessel that could carry even a few bales, andwas sea-worthy enough to reach Nassau, was ready with a crew on board, eager to sneak out any dark night and run to a neutral port, --generallyNassau. For a long time this traffic went on almost without a capture, and theConfederate Government not only deposited in places of safety largequantities of a commodity in general demand throughout the world, butalso had the satisfaction of seeing its property advance rapidly invalue as the war went on, and its necessities increased. The cotton thusshipped was all consigned to Fraser, Trenholm & Co. , Liverpool, and theconsignments for the army, navy and diplomatic departments werecarefully kept separate. There was, therefore, no clashing of interestsbetween the army and navy, as to disposition of proceeds. Therequirements for the diplomatic agents were trifling compared with thoseof the army for supplies and the navy for building, equipping andmanning ships. I had not been long in England before the sinews of war began to beavailable, and I found myself able to meet my engagements in a mannerentirely satisfactory to my creditors. To buy supplies was simpleenough; but to ship them was another matter. As was to be expected, detectives employed by the U. S. Government as well as volunteer spieswere about me. Efforts were made to intercept telegrams and to tamperwith employees, but few of these attempts at stopping Confederate armysupplies were successful. One success scored by the United States was the capture of the "StephenHart, " a schooner of American build, but purchased by an English houseand put under the British flag for Confederate use. The proof that shewas loaded with army supplies destined for the Confederate States was socomplete that no expense was incurred in defending the rights of thequasi British owners. It was a mistake to ship such supplies by sailingvessels, and there were other errors of judgment which were notrepeated. After the "Stephen Hart" episode, all army supplies were carried bysteamer, either to a Confederate port direct, or to Nassau or Bermuda. There was little difficulty in chartering steamers to carry supplies to"The Islands. " Generally both ship and cargo belonged in good faith toBritish subjects; and, as the voyage was from one British port toanother, the entire business was as lawful as a similar shipment wouldhave been from London to Liverpool. But one of the most innocentshipments was not only captured, but the capture was confirmed, andthere was not on board one penny's worth of property belonging to theConfederate States or to any American citizen. The ship "TheSpringbock, " was loaded by a firm from whom I had purchased manysupplies; but in this instance, the cargo was to be sold in Nassau, andthere was nothing of a suspicious character on board, excepting somebrass buttons bearing the device "C. S. A. , " and these buttons were puton board the last day against the wishes of one of the partners whofeared they would be considered as tainting the whole cargo. And so theUnited States Court decided. Everything else on board was likely to bewanted in any country whose ports had been blockaded for several months, but none of the articles were such as could be classed as _military_supplies. To get the supplies from "The Islands" to the main land requiredsea-worthy steamers of light draught and great speed. Many such vesselswere purchased and sent out under captains who were equal to anyemergency, among whom were several former U. S. Navy officers. Some ofthese steamers had been private yachts, as for example the "Merrimac;"(there were two "Merrimacs"); some were engaged in trade between Britishports, as the "Cornubia;" some were taken from the Channel servicebetween England and France, as the "Eugenie;" and some were built foropium smuggling in China. Later in the war, steamers were builtexpressly for the service. During the first two years, the captures were so infrequent that, it maybe safely stated, never before was a Government at war so well suppliedwith arms, munitions, clothing and medicines--everything, in short, thatan army requires--with so little money as was paid by the Confederacy. The shipment from England to the Islands in ordinary tramp steamers; thelanding and storage there, and the running of the blockade, cost money;but all that was needed came from cotton practically given to theConfederate Government by its owners. The supplies were, in every instance, bought at the lowest cash pricesby men trained in the work as contractors for the British army. Nocredit was asked. Merchants having needed supplies were frankly toldthat our means were limited, and our payments would be made by chequeson Fraser, Trenholm & Co. , Liverpool, an old established andconservative house. The effect of such buying was to create confidenceon the part of the sellers, which made them more anxious to sell thanwere we to purchase. When the end came, and some of the largest sellerswere ruined, I never heard a word of complaint of their beingover-reached or in any manner treated unfairly. As long as the system thus described continued, the South not onlyequipped an army able to cope with the colossal forces constantlyadvancing upon it, but it accomplished this without distressing itspeople with taxes. And thus, in part, was answered Mr. Cushing'sapparently unanswerable exclamation: "What _possible_ chance can theSouth have?" But the supply of acceptable arms was not equal to the demand. Thecivilized powers had but recently been equipped with modern arms. TheUnited States had the Springfield; England had the Enfield, which waspractically the same as the Springfield; Austria had a rifle bearing aclose resemblance to both, and of about the same calibre; Prussia had abreech-loader which no Government would now think of issuing to troops;France had an inferior muzzle-loader, and was experimenting with animitation of the Prussian needle-gun, which finally proved ruinous tothe Empire. There were few arms for sale, even in the arsenals ofEurope, which Mr. Cushing had said would be open to the United Statesand closed to the South. Austria, however, had a considerable quantityon hand, and these an intermediary proposed I should buy. I knew something of the armament of Austria, having visited Vienna in1859, with a letter from the United States War Department, which gave mesome facilities for observation. At first I considered the getting ofanything from an Imperial Austrian Arsenal as chimerical. But mywould-be intermediary was so persistent that, finally I accompanied himto Vienna and, within a few days, closed a contract for 100, 000 riflesof the latest Austrian pattern, and ten batteries, of six pieces each, of field artillery, with harness complete, ready for service, and aquantity of ammunition, all to be delivered on ship at Hamburg. TheUnited States Minister, Mr. Motley, protested in vain. He was told thatthe making of arms was an important industry of Austria; that the samearms had been offered to the United States Government and declined, andthat, as belligerents, the Confederate States were, by the usage ofnations, lawful buyers. However unsatisfactory this answer may havebeen to Washington, the arms were delivered, and in due time wereshipped to Bermuda from Hamburg. Mr. Motley offered to buy the wholeconsignment, but was too late. The Austrian Government declined to breakfaith with the purchasers. I confess to a glow of pride when I saw those sixty pieces of rifledartillery with caissons, field-forges, and battery-wagons, complete--some two hundred carriages in all--drawn up in array in thearsenal yard. It was pardonable for a moment to imagine myself incommand of a magnificent park of artillery. The explanation of Austria'swillingness to dispose of these batteries is that the authorities haddecided on the use of gun-cotton in the place of powder; and the changeinvolved new guns, although those sold to me were of the latest designfor gunpowder. I believe gun-cotton was given up not long after. Again Mr. Cushing's "What possible chance can the South now have?" wasin part answered. At least _one_ of the greatest arsenals of Europe hadbeen opened to the South. That the ports of the South were blockaded, as Mr. Cushing said theywould be, was true; but never before had steam vessels been employed bya vigilant enemy to search out the weak intervals in the line and availhimself of darkness and even storm, to enter and leave blockadedharbors. In spite of large squadrons, under command of competent andzealous officers, enough war material was carried into ports of theConfederate States to enable them, for three years, to contendvigorously against all the armies the United States could collect, notonly from its own population, but from all the countries of Europe. Well may the people of the Northern portion of the reconstructed Unionbe proud of their fellows, who for four long years contended againstsuch fearful odds. The fourth year of the war saw an end of the struggle, not only becauseof the immense superiority of the North in men and material, but also onaccount of a change of policy in procuring supplies. For a long timethere were no contractors between the European sources of supply andthe great consumer, the army. Cotton, the only article of value to theoutside world, passed into possession of the Government continuously andwithout friction, and was landed in Nassau--exceptionally inBermuda--with no back charges due. Every shilling that a bale was worth, as it lay at the landing-place, was so much to the credit of the War orNavy Department with Fraser, Trenholm & Co. , Liverpool, and wasavailable as soon as the arrival was announced by mail _via_ New York. There were literally no leaks. More devoted or more intelligent andtrustworthy agents than were Fraser, Trenholm & Co. , during the fouryears in which they acted for the Richmond Government, never served anyprincipal. But in the latter stages of the war, contracts with the Government beganto appear. These contracts, made in Richmond, were generally a sort ofpartnership affair by which the contractor, usually an English company, shared equally the freighting capacity of each blockade runner. Arepresentative of one of these companies brought to me, one day, a drafton myself for a large sum in sterling--I think it was £10, 000, but thismay not be the exact sum. What to do with it was a difficult problem. The payee, a respectable merchant of Richmond, presented it in person, and there was no doubt of its genuineness. After considering the mattera few minutes, I said: "I can't pay this, Captain C----. " "What!" he said, "Repudiate the draft of Colonel Gorgas?" "Can't help it; I cannot and shall not honor it. I need much more moneythan I have received, to pay for what has gone forward, and I have largecontracts out for supplies. " "I will assume your contracts, " he replied. "But I will not assign them to you. " Here was a collision between officer and Government contractor, whichmight result in the professional ruin of the officer; for the draft wasan order from his superior. Although a good many rough words wereinterchanged, I stood my ground and did not pay the draft. I readbetween the lines of Col. Gorgas's letters that he would stand by me, and he did. The draft was undoubtedly made by higher authority--probablythe Secretary of War, Mr. Seddon--who at the time had not been long inoffice, while Col. Gorgas had served from the organization of theConfederate Government in Montgomery. I never heard anything more aboutthe repudiated draft, and, not long after, I was informed that, at therequest of the War Department, I had been advanced to the grade ofMajor. * * * * * In this connection I may mention an incident that occurred somewhatlater. Mr. Yancey had returned to Richmond, and Mr. James H. Mason hadtaken his place as Commissioner. It would be difficult to imagine twomen more opposite in character, discharging the same functions. Mr. Yancey was a much younger man, and had been a student at WilliamsCollege, Massachusetts. He had represented Alabama in the United StatesCongress, and was sufficiently acquainted with affairs in general tohold his own in almost any company. His voice and manners were pleasing, and his estimate of himself was sufficiently modest to make him anappreciative listener. I never heard him address an audience but once, but that once convinced me he was a born orator. It was at aFishmongers' Guild dinner, and the few representatives of theConfederate States were the guests of the evening. Mr. Yancey sat on theleft of the Lord Warden. I sat four or five seats from him, on theopposite side, the tables being arranged in the form of a horse shoe. There was a large number present, and many were evidently Americans fromthe North. Very early in the list of toasts, the toastmaster, --a butler possessedof a ringing voice, and who stood just behind the chair of the LordWarden, from whom he received his orders--called out: "Gentlemen, fill your _glah-ses_, the Lord Warden will take wine withyou. " The glasses being filled, the toast was announced. I do not now recallthe words, but it had reference to the "new nation, " and to Hon. WilliamL. Yancey, and "our guests from the Confederate States of America. " TheLord Warden made a short address of welcome and called on Mr. Yancey. All the Confederate guests were expected to stand while their spokesmanreplied. But I declined to make myself so conspicuous, fearing that in acompany so entirely new to Mr. Yancey, as I felt sure this Englishcompany was, his speech would be anything but appropriate. I could not have been more in error. What he said exactly fitted theplace and the occasion; the audience was delighted, except some peopleat the lower ends of the tables, who, by rattling their glasses andmoving their feet, did their best to disconcert the speaker. In thisthey failed. The speech was short, and at its conclusion the storm ofapplause clearly showed the pleasure it afforded the great majority ofthe audience. I remember well a barrister--a member of the citygovernment--who after the dinner was over, commented enthusiastically onthe eloquence of Mr. Yancey. Mr. Mason was a very different man. He had, for forty years been aprominent member of the United States Senate, and seemed never to beunmindful of the presence and importance of the Honorable James H. Masonof Virginia. The two Commissioners were as different, one from theother, as a Kentuckian and a Boston man of pilgrim blood. I saw butlittle of Mr. Mason. Mr. Yancey had always been ready to confer with me. I freely talked over my plans with him, and by his counsel and cordialendeavor to aid me, he was an ever present help. There was in Mr. Mason no magnetism to attract young men, and I do notremember ever to have asked his advice or opinion. In this he presenteda strong contrast to all the other Commissioners. Mr. Slidell was as olda man and as experienced in public affairs as Mr. Mason, but he was agenial companion even to younger men, and I consulted him quite asfreely as I had Mr. Yancey. One morning I received a note from Mr. Mason's secretary, asking me tocall at Mr. Mason's lodgings. I lost no time in obeying the summons, andMr. Mason lost no time in coming to business. "Major, " he said, "I have sent for you to request you to inspect somearmy supplies that some of our English friends are sending over under acontract with the War Department. " Without a moment's hesitation, I replied, "Mr. Mason, I will inspect thecontract, and if I approve it, I will inspect the goods. " I cannot convey an adequate idea of the man's astonishment. It was toogreat for him to express himself immediately. He was standing in frontof the grate. Taking a package of "fine-cut" from his pocket, andremoving from his mouth an immense quid which he threw into the grate, he replaced it with a fresh wad and, looking at me, said, "Do you knowwho I am? Whom do you look upon as your superiors?" Instantly, but very quietly, I replied, "I believe you are the HonorableJames M. Mason, Confederate States Commissioner to England. " "Yes, " he replied, "and in a very few days I shall be Minister of theConfederate States to the Court of St. James. " It was when England, France and Spain were on the point of acknowledging the ConfederateStates of America as a nation. I then said, "I acknowledge no superior on this side of the ocean; inAmerica the Secretary of War and all officers senior to me are mysuperiors, and especially Col. Gorgas, from whom I receive my orders. Not only on general principles can I take no orders from you, but I havean order sent me after the battle of Bull Run, giving me _carteblanche_, and directing me not to allow myself to be governed bypolitical emissaries of the Government. Now, if you are not a politicalemissary of the Government I don't know what you are. " There was no possible answer to this defining of our relative positionsand there was no more controversy. The dispute lasted some time, but Ihave related enough to answer my purpose. The order to which I referred was sewed into the sole of a boot, thewearer of which, a German by birth, made the journey from Richmond toLondon by way of New York. On arriving in London the order was removedfrom its hiding place by cutting the stitches of the sole. The incidentserves to show the impossibility of preventing secret correspondence intime of war. Another incident of the same character may be mentioned. The firstvessel to run the blockade from England was the "Fingal, " CommanderJames D. Bulloch. It was necessary to send to Savannah, the port forwhich Commander Bulloch intended to strike, a set of signals in advance. These were secreted by removing the wrapper of a well-made cigar andcarefully replacing it, after rolling the paper containing the signalsupon its body. I myself did this bit of cigar work. On arriving offSavannah, Commander Bulloch displayed his signals, which wereimmediately answered, and he piloted his ship into the harbor with whichhe was familiar. So long as the War Department depended entirely on itsown officers to get cotton out and run supplies in, the value of everybale of cotton that reached the Islands secured, in due time, its fullequivalent in army supplies. There were some captures of cotton goingout, and others of supplies going in, but the losses were for a longtime inconsiderable. When, however, the contract system got into fullworking condition, although there were more vessels in the service, thesupplies began to shrink. Contractors were "on the make. " That was theirbusiness, and they pursued it eagerly, for the profits were large. The "Nashville, " which had been a packet between New York andCharleston, was purchased by the C. S. Government and converted into acruiser, and as it was very desirable that there should be some show ofnaval power in a European port, she was sent under command of CaptainPegram to Southampton, where she arrived in good order. On reading thenews of her arrival, I went immediately to Southampton to call on herofficers, with Mr. Fearn, secretary to Mr. Yancey. The ship was, likeall American ships, trim and in beautiful condition, but she was only aconverted passenger ship, and must have made a poor showing had she meta U. S. Ship of any size. However, she served the purpose of displayingthe Confederate States flag in a foreign port and on the high seas. My object in calling on Captain Pegram was not one of courtesy alone. Amost outrageous proposal had been made to me, involving the capture of aBritish ship bound from Hamburg to New York, loaded with a hundredthousand Austrian rifles. The proposal, in brief, was: That I shoulddeposit £10, 000 in the Bank of England subject to the draft of one oftwo persons. In the event of success of the scheme, one was to draw themoney; in case of failure, the other. The plan was to capture a Britishship, then loading with arms at Hamburg for New York. It had beenproposed to me that with a tug, having a gun on board, I shouldintercept the ship, fire a gun, and demand her surrender. The captainwould have orders to comply with my demand, and I was to direct him tosail to Charleston. * * * * * The scheme was not impossible for any one holding a privateer'scommission, and I applied to Mr. Yancey for a letter-of-marque. Onhearing my story, Mr. Yancey said he had such commissions, but that theywere contrary to the spirit of the age, and he had determined not togive any of them out. However, in this instance, he would issue one if Iwanted it. I believed my land-service commission would protect me, but Iasked for the letter-of-marque as an additional safeguard. CaptainPegram, after considering the matter in conference with his executive, Lieutenant Fauntleroy (formerly of the United States Navy), determinednot to make the attempt, and the matter was dropped. Perhaps it is well that the "Nashville" arrived, and that Captain Pegramdeclined to act; for I had the money ready to deposit, and what seemsnow to me a madcap scheme might have been attempted. The ship sailed, and delivered her cargo in New York. The projectors ofthe scheme stood to receive double payment for the arms and ship, theinsurance against war-risk having been assumed by the U. S. WarDepartment. The arms were from the Vienna arsenal, from which Ireceived, later, the same number of small arms and several batteries offield artillery. At the time the "Nashville" arrived in Southampton, I had a largequantity of supplies ready for shipment, but was deterred by theendeavors of agents of the United States Government to stop me. Theproblem was finally solved by a hint from the British authorities toclear them for Australia, which was done. The shipment was made on thesteamer "Economist, " bought for the expedition, and Lieut. Fauntleroywas detached from the "Nashville" to command her; of course a Britishcaptain in nominal command. Although the "Economist" had speed of notmore than eight knots an hour, Lieut. Fauntleroy made a successful runinto Charleston and delivered his cargo in excellent condition. An incident worth relating is connected with this period of the war. Aship which Lieut. Fauntleroy and I visited one morning was loading inLondon Docks for Nassau. In the same dock were two very handsomesteamers which had been built for the opium trade, but for some reasonhad not sailed for China. They were now for sale. Lieut. Fauntleroy, after examining them, was most eager that I should buy one and put himin command. To do so, however, was impossible; I had no money. Severalmonths afterwards I was asked to buy a steamer and her cargo of arms, clothing, shoes, ammunition and medicines, then lying at St. George's, Bermuda. The ship was one of the two opium smugglers. She had beenbought by a company of Englishmen, and, loaded with a most desirablecargo, had started for Wilmington or Charleston. On arriving at Bermudathe blockade had become so close that the owners decided not to make theattempt to run it, and they offered to sell ship and cargo to me at abargain. I was still unable to buy her, although I knew what a valuableblockade-runner she would be and what a desirable cargo she carried. The owners, of whom there were several, were so anxious to sell her thatthey importuned me till finally I said: "Well, gentlemen, I can do onething: I can offer you cotton for your ship and cargo. " They jumped atthe proposal, saying that was all they wanted. Where would I deliver thecotton? [Illustration] At Charleston, Mobile or Wilmington. When? Thirty days after the presentation of my order to the War Department inRichmond. Strange as it may read, these men were perfectly satisfied with myproposition, although I could not see how they were to get their cottonout, since they were selling their ship to me. However, we agreed uponthe weight and quality of cotton to be given for ship and cargo, and itonly remained for me to satisfy their lawyer that I was duly authorizedto make the purchase. For this purpose, a meeting was arranged for thenext morning, when I presented the leather-stained order which had cometo me through the lines, sewed between the layers of the sole of a shoe. On reading this, the lawyer said: "That's enough to cover anything, " anda contract was signed and an order given me for the ship and cargo. Asthis contract may interest the reader, a _fac-simile_ of it is given. (See plate. ) The quantity of cotton being too large for one owner to handle, it wasarranged to have warrants engraved and printed for smaller quantities. The "Merrimac" ran into Wilmington and delivered her valuable cargo infine order. She was then loaded with cotton, and one favorablenight--dark and stormy--started on her return trip to the Islands. Before clearing the harbor she collided with another steamer on her wayin, and the "Merrimac" was obliged to return to Wilmington, where it wasfound that she could not be repaired, and she was finally sold, with hercargo, for $1, 100, 000. The vessel with which she collided was her sistership which had lain alongside of her in London Docks. Means were not tobe found in Wilmington to repair the "Merrimac" for the ConfederateGovernment; but it was easily accomplished as soon as she passed intoprivate hands, and she was again sent to make her run to the Islands. Tomy great satisfaction, she was captured the next morning. There were greedy contractors in the South who cared just as much for"the cause" as did their fellow-contractors in the North for the Union. They were full of patriotism--of their kind. Months after the "Merrimac"sailed from Bermuda, one of the negotiators of the sale asked me if Iwould sign duplicates of the warrants I had issued. My reply was: "Doesthe Bank of England issue duplicate notes?" "You don't mean to say youwill not give us duplicates!" "I certainly do. " And then I explained tohim that _at the time_, I might have been willing to sign warrants induplicate. But the war had reached a critical stage; the Confederatearmy was hard pressed on every side. Moreover, the contract system hadbegun to produce results. Instead of all cotton sent out being for armyor navy account, only a portion of the army cotton was turned into armysupplies. The contractors, English and Confederate, were taking therest. I believe that not one of those cotton warrants which bought the"Merrimac" was ever presented in Richmond, and that vessel, with hercargo, cost the Confederate Government literally nothing. It is acurious fact that these same cotton warrants, which as it proved werereally not worth the cost of printing them, at one time sold at apremium in London.