Raynors HCA 2017-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/7/2017
Unique Confederate thee page letter written by Major Thomas L. Bayne with the back of one sheet carrying a second letter written by Congressman William Porcher Miles. The letter is on official Confederate States of America War Department Ordnance Bureau, written to Governor Bonham, March 3, 1864, by Major Thomas L. Bayne, in full “In reply to your inquires on the subject, I have the honor to state that, pending the regulations now in preparation by the President, under the recent legislation of Congress, the Secty. War has placed the States in the same relation to private tonnage as the Confederate Govt. He has authorized the Agent at Wilmington to exempt from the requirements of carrying out a proportion of cargo for the Confederate Govmt., any steamer carrying a like proportion on same terms, for any State. He has gone further even, authorizing the Agt. to give credit on the Govt. requirement, for any proportion, however small, carried out by a steamer, for a state, on same terms as given by Confederate Govt. The ‘Don’ & ‘Harrison’ carrying ¼ cargo for a/c of State of N.C. and 1/12 for a/c of Confederate Govmt., the sum of the 1/3, the minimum amount required by the Govmt. It is necessary that the terms should be the same, else a competition, equally ruinous to both, would at once spring up between the individual States and the Confederate States. This has been the uniform rule authorized, and carried out, as far as I am advised. The ‘City of Petersburg’ carried out a full cargo furnished by the State of Va., half to belong to the vessel, on delivery of the other half to the State Agt. at the islands. These terms, you are aware, are identical with those offered by the C.S. Govmt. The ship ‘A. D. Vance’, it has always been understood, is the exclusive property of the State of N.C.; and as such, she has been entirely exempted from the operation of the 1/3 requirement. It is hardly necessary for me to report that no discrimination has been made, or will be made, in favor of any State. The States and the Confederate Govmt., until the President’s regulations are put in operation, have the same relation to private tonnage. In other words, private vessels are required to give up a proportion of their room out, on certain terms, and they have the option of making the concession to the Confederate Govmt., or to either of the States, or to both jointly.” ...... The second letter by Congressman William Porcher Miles, in full, “Respectfully forwarded to his Excellency Gov. Bonham for his information. I have diligently examined into the matter as did the Honorable A. P. Aldridge and cannot find that there has been any discrimination made against South Carolina in the matter of exporting cotton nor can I imagine any motives or probable reason for any discrimination. It was unfortunate that when Majors Furman & Porter were in Richmond and none of us knew that the Navy Dept. had a joint interest and control in the matter of cotton exportation. Secretary of War promised to do what was in his power and supposed we only asked for our state as share in the cargoes the War Dept. controlled it is to be regretted that he did not inform us that the Sec of the Navy was entitled by agreement to certain cargoes or trips (Regulated by Mr. Seifas & Mr. Peters at Wilmington). But I cannot think that the Sec. of War has intentionally deceived us or deliberately broken faith with us or that he has shown any disposition to discrimination in favor of N.C. or Va. or against S.C.
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