| Hdqrs. Dept. of Virginia, Army of the James |
| In the Field, March 22, 1865 -- 4:20 p.m. |
| |
| Brigadier-General Rawlins |
| Chief of Staff, Hdqrs. Armies of the United States,
City Point |
| |
| General Gordon sends the following
information, received through a deserter from the Twenty-fourth
Virginia Cavalry, who reports that the position which he occupied at
Weldon afforded him a good opportunity to observe the amount of
supplies passing through that place, the sources from whence they
came, and their final destination: All the forage
{that the informant knew of} for
General Lee's army passes through Weldon. It is brought there on the
Seaboard{ & Roanoke}, Raleigh & Gaston,
and Weldon and Wilmington Railroads. Forage very scarce. All sugar
and coffee lately issued to General Lee's army has been carried
through Weldon, and most of it came via Murfree's Depot
{I know of no Murfree's Depot on a RR.
Murfreesboro, NC was about 30 miles east of Weldon and must have
been an end point of goods traded through the lines with Norfolk}.
Four hundred bales of cotton stored in Weldon when informant left.
Cotton seized by Confederate Government is turned over to commissary
of subsistence, who appoints agents to carry it into our lines and
dispose of it. These agents are obliged to give security to amount
of $20,000, and are then allowed to take that amount of cotton out
of the Confederacy and exchange it for coffee, sugar, and bacon.
From 6,000 to 12,000 pounds {3 to 10 wagon
loads} of bacon usually passed through Weldon daily, and most
of it came from blockade-runners, who gave it in exchange for
cotton. Cotton trade dull since late restrictions on all trade.
Cannot be disposed of, and is no longer sent to Murfree's Depot.
Weldon is defended by one company, with five pieces of artillery
stationed north side of Roanoke River near railroad bridge. Bridge
is good and very substantial; is used for carriages and foot
passengers; is only bridge over river there. There are three
companies of cavalry between Suffolk and Weldon, called Twelfth
North Carolina Battalion, commanded by Captain Holliday, two
companies at Borgan's Depot, and one, with headquarters at
Murfree's, pickets the Chowan and Blackwater. When General Sherman
was last heard from he was at Fayetteville. |
| Theodore Read |
| Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff |
|