| Quarter Masters Office |
| Augusta Ga. Oct. 17, 1863 |
| |
|
General A. R. Lawton |
| Quar. Mr. General |
| Richmond, Va. |
| |
| General, |
| In reply to your letter of the 13th inst.
received this morning requesting me to report immediately the amount of
cotton I have purchased for the benefit of the Quarter Masters
Department, &c. I have the honor to report that I purchased 980,074
pounds cotton at fifty cents per #, and forwarded 202,584 pounds to Mr
Seixas agent of the War Department at Wilmington, the locality of the
balance of this cotton is Augusta, stored with the party (T. L. Metcalf)
from whom the purchase was made. |
| I have made no arrangements for investing
the unexpended balance as the amount was so small, I did not deem it
worth while. |
| I received for the purchase of cotton |
|
$500,000.00 |
| Paid for cotton purchased |
$490,587. |
|
| Commission to Phanizy & Clayton for purchasing cotton |
6,132.34 |
|
| Drayage on Cotton to R. R. |
138.00 |
496,857.34 |
| Unexpended cotton fund |
|
$3,142.66 |
|
| The present difficulty of sending the
balance of this cotton forward, is, that the South Carolina Road has not
sufficient motive power to perform all the work required. I understand
this deficiency will be obviated in the course of a few weeks.
Arrangements had been made with the Georgia R. R. for the transportation
of the whole of this cotton. The want of storage at Wilmington stopped
the further shipment. If it is important that this cotton should go
forward at once, I might perhaps prevail upon the Ga. R. R. (as this Co.
have always promptly responded to the wants of the Govt.) to run a
special train to Wilmington for the purpose. |
| The price of cotton in this market is from
fifty to fifty two cents, holders looking for higher figures, there is
but a limited quantity offered on the market. I learn that most of the
cotton here has past from first into the hands of speculators. |
| I am informed that cotton can be purchased
at Columbus Ga. at forty five cents if it is desired to make further
purchases of cotton, a discrete officer or buyer might enter that market
and purchase largely at those figures without exciting the market. |
| Very Respectfully |
| Yr Obt Sevt |
| J. T. Winnemore |
| Major & Q. M. |
|