NA, RR 5/12/1862

Head Quarters 3d Brigade Dept of Norfolk
Suffolk, Va. May 12th 1862
 
   I hereby certify that Major Geo. W. Grice A. Q. M. used every possible effort to save the Government Stores in his charge and keeping previous to the evacuation of Portsmouth; that he frequently consulted with me on the subject, and did every thing that a persevering and indefatigable business man could do to procure Rail Road Cars or other means of transportation without success or the sacrifice of stores of far greater value than those in his keeping. We saved a large amount of ammunition and ordnance stores, which, but for his efforts, would have been lost, and with his teamsters moved from Fort Nelson, loaded on the cars and thus saved one of the "Belgian guns, with carriage, ammunition, &c., which would themselves have fallen into the hands of the enemy.
   In my opinion Major Grice cannot be held responsible for the Quartermasters stores lost in the evacuation of Portsmouth. After finding it was impossible to remove them, he, by my order, turned them over to the Mayor & City Council for distribution among the families of the volunteers in service, and the poor of the city; and I have since learned that they were so distributed.
Albert G Blanchard
Brig Genl P. A. C. S.
Comg 3d Brigade

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