them to Confederate D. D. Porter, commanding North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

* * * * *

By command of Brigadier-General Barnes:

C. H. DREW,

Captain, Veteran Reserve Corps, and Actg. Asst. Adjt. General

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, Va., November 19, 1864.

Lieutenant General R. TAYLOR, Commanding, &c.:

GENERAL: During the last spring a permit was given to Miss Mary Cherry, of Memphis, to be allowed, if it met the approval of General Polk, to take out 200 bales of cotton, which it was expected, would be given her by citizens of Mississippi, to be sold in Memphis, and the proceeds appropriated to the relief of our wounded and imprisoned soldiers at that place. Miss Cherry was represented, from undoubted sources, as having devoted herself and exhausted her own means in affording relief to our soldiers so situated, and it was believed that the cotton so permitted to be sent would be certainly applied to the purposes indicated. General Polk gave the required approval, and Miss Cherry, as I learn, proceeded to take out some twelve bales at Memphis, laid her up for many weeks, and prevented for a time the further fulfillment of her designs. Having now partially recovered, she seeks to resume the duty, and represents herself as having incurred, on the faith of this permit, serious responsibilities in affording supplies to the wounded and imprisoned at Memphis.

I have again made inquiries as to her character and fidelity, and have the strongest assurances that she may be relied upon entirely for the faithful appropriation, for the relief of our soldiers, of the proceeds of all cotton she may be allowed to take out.

We have recently made an arrangement with the Federal authorities by which a cargo of cotton is to be sent at once to New York, to be applied to the relief of our suffering and imprisoned soldiers; but that will by no means suffice to afford the supplies necessary to alleviate the condition of those in the more Eastern prisons. It is entirely in conformity with the spirit of this arrangement to allow the cotton designed to be taken out by Miss Cherry to be similarly applied. While, therefore, I do not design a positive instruction in relation to a matter which comes appropriately within the discretion of the commandant of your department, and of which you have better means of judgment, I would recommend the allowance of this permit, unless you have some satisfactory information to induce doubt of the fidelity with which the proceeds will be applied.

Very respectfully,

JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War.

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, WAR DEPARTMENT,

Richmond, Va., November 19, 1864.

General J. H. WINDER, Millen, Ga.:

You must judge and use your best efforts for the removal and security of the prisoners as the enemy shall advance or threaten in any