| Chesterville, May 9th 1864 |
| |
| Major S. B. French |
| CS |
| Richmond VA |
| |
| Major, |
| The Bacon at this point is in
bulk & I send it loose to Major Lowe with instructions to let it go on
under guard, unless he can without loss of time put it in packages via
Greensboro & Danville to Major Claiborne. |
| I have telegraphed to Captain
Sharp urging him to send me three cars {Charlotte
& South Carolina RR} to Winnsboro' forthwith, for which point I
take the first train. |
| I officially instruct Major
Trout to push all his agents to renewed activity, to act promptly to buy
at market prices and to impress whenever he met with speculators &
extortioners. My intercourse with Major Trout has been quite
satisfactory, & I am satisfied he will do all he can. He leaves in the
morning to press forward his accumulations & to carry out my
instructions, and I urge him to call upon all the tithe agents of his
District to hurry up with their tithings of which he tells me there is
much yet to come in. |
| I am Very Respectfully |
| W H Smith |
| Major & CS |
|