Orleans before the season for grinding cane and has no knowledge how the crop was taken off, but it was sold as above to Colonel Butler. An arrangement was also made, as witness was informed by Clement Story, who is a sugar planter below New Orleans, to take off his crop on joint account with some of the U. S. officers in New Orleans. It was a well understood fact in New Orleans that no planter could obtain permission to gather his crop unless he would agree to share it with Colonel Butler or some of the Yankee officers.

HENRY FLORENCE.

Signed in my presence.

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of State.

DECEMBER 23, 1862.

Adam Giffin, a citizen of New Orleans, states that he knows Mr. Zunts, a sugar planter, who lives below New Orleans; that many of the negroes having been abducted forms aid plantation said Zunts informed witness that Andrew J. Butler, the brother of General Butler, had made him a proposition to buy his crop as it stood in the field; that Zunts being without any means of gathering his crop was forced to accept the offer, and that a bargain was made that Butler should restore the negroes to the plantation, or at least an equal number; that the crop should be taken off under the supervision of Zunts for account of Butler, and that he plantation should be restored to Zunts in the spring in full and complete order with all the slaves, and Zunts received in payment for his crop $25,000. Zunts told witness he had cane enough to make 700 hogsheads of sugar. A hogshead of sugar made by the process used on the plantation of Zunts is worth over $100, in addition to which is the molasses. It was well understood in New Orleans that no planter could take off his crop without some arrangement being made for the profit of the Yankee officials.

ADAM GIFFIN.

Signed in my presence.

J. P. BENJAMIN,

Secretary of State.

DECEMBER 26, 1862.

Dr. Euclid Borland says he is the owner of a plantation on the Mississippi River below New Orleans; that he was on a visit to the plantation of Mr. Zunts when he was introduced to a person by the name of Weed, and was informed by Zunts that he had made a bargain with Colonel Butler and Weed and another person connected with the quartermaster's or commissary department of General Butler's army. Witness cannot recollect the name of this last-mentioned person, although it was stated to him. The bargain was that the salves which had left the plantation were to be brought back and that the crop of Zunts was to be made for account of Colonel butler and his associates who had paid $25,000 for it; that the purchasers were to pay the overseer's wages and pay for some hogsheads that Zunts had bought, and were to pay for all expenses of taking off the crop, except such supplies as were then on the plantation. The purchasers agreed to bring back the negroes by aid of U. S. soldiers, and witness learned that a portion of the slaves were brought back to the place under a guard of soldiers. Zunts suggested to witness to make a similar bargain, as