you will save time when Kemper is to return here. The arrangement then should be: Daniel at Kinston, Ransom at Goldsborough, Kemper at Snow Hill, Garnett and Pettigrew operating against Washington, but if your plans are already made and this would be likely to delay your movements a day do not wait; the grand thing is to get Washington and its garrison. You can not only give it out that the move is against New Berne, but you can seriously threaten it if an effort should be made to re-enforce Washington from New Berne. I think that your movement would thus be made doubly secure. The moment this is accomplished you can move your entire force against New Berne. It will not do to wait this move for the operations against Charleston, because I believe that an attack upon Charleston will not be made until the army on the Rappahannock is ready to advance; then we shall want every man that we can get to meet the grand army. I do not think that there can be any doubt but we can keep re-enforcements from leaving Suffolk for the succor of Washington. The way seems to me to be clear if we can only be prompt. If your health is likely to fail you advise me and I will go down myself. I can send you General Pickett if you desire. I tried to send a telegram to General Whiting to send you Ransom's brigade, but the wires being down I could not. I inclose one to be sent him if the wires are operating between Goldsborough and Wilmington.

I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES LONGSTREET,

Lieutenant-General, Commanding.

P. S. - Retain the Whitworth that I have sent you if you can move promptly against New Berne, and you will need all the troops for that purpose.

HEADQUARTERS,
Wilmington, N. C., March 23, 1863.

Honorable JAMES A. SEDDON,

Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

SIR: I wish to call your attention to the evil of permitting private parties to ship cotton except for the purpose of bringing in articles useful for the conduct of the war. It is a crying evil. It fosters and increases speculation in the wildest manner. The burden falls exclusively upon the soldier and his family in the enormously increased prices of every necessary. He has a fixed and moderate stipend. The non-combatant engaged in mercantile pursuits has facilities for procuring what he needs and can pay any price from the enormous profits. I believe the cotton is in great part exchanged at Nassau with Yankee merchants for Yankee goods. The goods at least that come here are mostly of Yankee manufacture, and houses have been established in Nassau by men of Northern birth, who have left this city since the war and still have partners here. Lastly and especially, those engaged in this trade from this port to the largest extent or interest are partly Yankees outright and partly of Union sentiments.

Very respectfully,

W. H. C. WHITING,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.