NA, CS 10/26/1864

Mobile, October 26th 1864
 
Major S. B. French
CS
Richmond VA
 
Major,
   After confiring with Majors Campbell & Guy at Montgomery I found that it would be necessary for me to see the chf of commissary of this state Major Walker at this place, when I arrived yesterday at 11 AM.
   The complaint of no funds is greater here than in Georgia and you may imagine how seriously the credit of the Government is impaired by this deficiency, when, as I am informed by both Major Walker & Major Campbell, that certificates of indebtedness are hard ??? about the streets and freely offered, at a discount of fifty per cent! The golden opportunity for gathering the little surplus of bacon has been for the most part lost, & now Major Walker tells me no more bacon can be procured than will be required for the use of the forces here. I hope he is mistaken in this, for the information I got in Montgomery & Opelika is that there can yet be gathered several hundred thousand pounds of bacon, providing the money can be furnished to buy with.
   The crops of corn & hogs & peas and the quantity of sorghum made in this state will be immense -- greater than ever before, but with the only outlet through the West Point & Montgomery Road {Montgomery & West Point RR}, and there is more old corn now at the latter point, than that road with all its appliances can move in three months, these supplies will be of but little use to our troops in Virginia, and then coal & iron must be supplied through this channel for the Navy Department, and there are other imperative demands upon it. A great desideration would result from breaking up entirely the Express Company, and a large number of hale & vigorous men & fine horses could be added to our army in so doing. Major Walker I find an intelligent gentleman energetic in his official duties. He tells me that any county in his state is thoroughly canvassed by his agents, and all the supplies that can be are gotten out, but now they are stopped from the want of funds. I leave at 2 in the afternoon & after a brief interview with Major M?? & Major Campbell I shall hasten my return.
I am Major
Very Respectfully
W H Smith
Major & CS
 
{on the back of the document}
Bureau of Subsistence
Richmond, Nov. 2nd, 1864
Respy submitted to the C. G. S. for his information
SBFrench Major & C. S.
QMGenl
Through trains are being arranged by means of increased stock and the Engineer Dept aiding in adding more iron to make ??? ??? {turntable Sa?)
L B N   CS

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