Nort Carotina Troops, 1861-65.

5 Card Setting Machines with wire and other fur-
nishings sufficient to keep them running for
perhaps twelve months, and probably some

other articles of smaller value not now rec-
ollected.

The last mentioned articles, or most of them, were expected
to be shipped about 1 January, 1864, but as I left England
early in December I do not know whether they have been
shipped or not. A detailed statement of the cotton bonds in
a paper filed with this report, marked with the letter A, a
statement of my transactions with Alex. Collie & Co. will ap-
pear in papers B and C with the exceptions hereinbefore men-
tioned. They acted as my agent in the purchase and ship-
ping of goods, as well as in the sale of bonds, and an agency
of this kind is necessary to the transaction of such business
according to the uniform custom in England, and especially
so in reference to officers, agents and citizens of the Confed-
erate States. The articles purchased by me will appear by
reference to the paper marked with the letter D. I have also
filed an account between the State of North Carolina and my-
self marked with the letter E, exhibiting a balance due to me
from the State on 1 January last of three hundred and forty-
eight pounds, three shillings and two pence (£348,3.2), after
retaining my compensation according to the written contract
between us dated 10 November, 1862. “You will remember
that according to your directions, I paid the purchase money
amounting to thirty-five thousand pounds (£35,000) for the
Ad-Vance, formerly called Lord Clyde, which was purchased
by Colonel T. M. Crossan for the State under your authority.
My position in England enabled me to appreciate to the full
extent the immense advantages which have resulted to the
State, and indeed to the Confederacy, from the purchase by
the State of the noble steamer, and its use in running the
blockade under the excellent management of that superior
officer and seaman, Thomas M. Crossan. She has made with
entire success and safety many voyages between Bermuda
and Wilmington, carrying to Bermuda on each trip between
five hundred and seven hundred bales of cotton and bringing

N. C. Fin ancraAt OPERATIONS IN ENGLAND. 459

to Wilmington on her return trip large quantities of clothing
and other articles.

“‘The State has also embarked in another enterprise which
I think has been a fortunate one upon the whole. I allude
to the contract entered into on 27 October, 1863, between
Alex. Collie in behalf of himself and his friends, on one part,
and myself as Commissioner for the State of North Carolina
on the other. I entered into the contract without any direc-
tions from you, but it was made with the distinct understand-
ing that it would be void unless it should meet with your ap-
proval, and you afterwards did approve it. Under the con-
tract Mr. Collie and his friends were to furnish four steam-
ers of suitable construction and speed for blockade-run-
ning as soon as practicable. The State to pay one-fourth of
the cost, and the other persons interested the remaining three-
fourths and the parties to be interested in the profits and loss
and the business commenced shortly after the date of the
contract, and is still going on. Two of the steamers, the
Hansa and the Don, cost at Bermuda or Nassau Twenty thou-
sand pounds each. I have not now before me the data to
show the cost of the other two steamers, but suppose they will
cost £15,000 to £17,000 each. The claim against the State
for her interest in the above steamers is payable ac-
cording to the terms of contract, in cotton warrants of the
State at par. The contract and the letter therein mentioned
will be filed with this report. I regard the State’s invest-
ment in the four steamers last mentioned upon the whole, as
advantageous, although I regret to learn that one of the steam-
ers, the Don, has been recently captured. Cotton’is equal
to gold in England, and the clothing and other articles of
merchandise forwarded from England have been of immense
service to our soldiers. The cotton was consigned to Alex.
Collie & Co., and about five hundred bales have been sold, but
I have not yet received the account of the sales.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully,
“Your obedient servant,
“Jno WuirTe.”