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 Duke University Libraries 
 
 Message of the 
 Conf Pam #400 
 
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT, 
 
 Richmond, Va., Feb. 4, 1863. 
 
 To the House of Representatives: 
 
 I herewith transmit for your information a communication from the 
 Secretary of War, coveriug reports from the Surgeon General and 
 the Chief of Engineers, in response to your resolution of the 22d 
 ultimo. 
 
 JEFFERSON DAVIS. 
 
COMMUNICATION' OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 C. S. A., AVak Departmknt, > 
 
 Richmond, Va., Feb. 3, 1863. \ 
 
 Ilis Excellency, The President : 
 
 Sir: I have the honor to enclose reports from the Surgeon General 
 and the Cliicf of Engineers, in response to a resolution of the House 
 of Representatives, passed on the 22d ultimo. 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 JAMES A. SEDDON, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 

 REPLY OF THE SURGEON GENERAL TO A RESOLUTION 
 OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESE^'TATIVES IX REGARD 
 TO COPIES OF CONTRACTS FOR SUPPLIES OF ICE. 
 
 C, S. A., Surgeon Gf,nf.rai/s Office, ) 
 Richmond, Va., Jan. 24, 1863. ) 
 
 Hon. James A. Seddox, 
 
 Secretary of War: 
 
 Sir : In reply to the communication of the President of the 23d 
 instant, calling your attention to that portion of a resolution of the 
 House of Representatives, requesting " copies of any contracts made 
 during the present Avinter for supplies of ice," I have to inform you 
 that in the month of November last, I instructed Mr. Thomas P. 
 Turner, superintendent of the Government ice house in this city, with 
 a view of obtaining a good supply of the article for the sick and 
 wounded of the army during the ensuing summer, to make contracts 
 with persons in Ilcnrico and adjoining counties for the delivery of 
 the'^article at the ice house in this city. Tlie prices per pound or bushel, 
 and other details connected with the contracts, to be fixed by the 
 Provost Marshal. 
 
 I herewith enclose a copy of my letter of instructions to Mr. 
 Turner, dated November 14th, 1862, and also a copy of the instruc- 
 tions of the Provost Marshal, (Major E. Griswold) to Mr. Turner, 
 dated on the 17th of the same month. I will add, that as soon as it 
 became knoAvn to me that contracts for ice at seven cents ])cr pound had 
 been made, I disapproved said contracts, and ordered that not more 
 than /of/r cents per pound should be allowed and paid. For much the 
 larger portion of ice delivered the latter price has been paid. 
 
 Very i^espectfully. 
 
 Your obedient servant. 
 
 S. P. MOORE, 
 Surgeon General. 
 
THE SURGEON GENERAL'S INSTRUCTIONS TO THOMAS 
 P. TURNER, IN REGARD TO THE rURCIIASE OF ICE. 
 
 C. S. A., Surgeon Gf.nf.ral's Office, ) 
 
 Richmond, Va., Nov. 14, 1862. J 
 
 Thomas P. Turner, Esq., 
 
 Richmond, Va. : 
 
 Sir: I hereby authorize you as an agent of the medical and hos- 
 pital department, to proceed to the counties of New Kent, Henrico, 
 Hanover, Chesterfield and Fowhatan to collect and contract for ice, to 
 be delivered by parties in those counties, or hauled by Government 
 as the case may be, for the use of the sick and wounded of the C. S. 
 Army, and will pay or cause to be paid to you, the sum of one hun- 
 dred and twenty-five ($125) dollars per month, so long as you may 
 be engaged in the same. In regard to the price to be paid for ice and 
 details, you will receive specific instructions from the Provost Marshal. 
 
 Yqy-^ respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 (Signed,) S. P. MOORE, 
 
 Surgeon General, 
 
PROVOST MARSHAL'S INSTRUCTIONS TO MR. T. P. 
 TURNER AS TO CONTRACTS FOR ICE. 
 
 Provost Marshal's Office, ) 
 
 Richmond, November 17, 18G2. \ 
 
 Thomas P. Turner, Esq., 
 
 Richmond, Va. : 
 
 Sir : Under instructions from the Surgeon General, you are hereby 
 ordered to rent an ice house, to contract for and have put in proper 
 order and repairs such ice house on as reasonable terms as the sa-ue 
 can be done. You are further ordered to contract for, and purchase 
 for the use of the sick and wounded in the hospitals in around Rich- 
 mond, ice, the cost of said ice not to exceed three cents, per pound, 
 where the same is not delivered at the ice house, and not to exceed 
 ten cents, per pound where the same is delivered at the ice house. 
 These purchases to be made as reasonable as possible. 
 
 By order of 
 
 E. GRISWOLD, 
 Major and Provost Marshal. 
 J. G. Griswold, Adjutant. 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM MAJOR A. L. RIYES, IN RELA- 
 TION TO THE CONTRACTS FOR ICE AVIIICII IIAA^E 
 BEEN MADE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE ENGI- 
 NEER BUREAU. 
 
 C. S. A., "War Department, Engineer Bureau, ) 
 Richmond, Ya., February 2d, 1863. ) 
 
 Hon. James A. Seddon, 
 
 Secretary of War: 
 
 Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith, for your consideration, 
 the contracts for ice -which have been made under the direction of this 
 Bureau, with parties at various points on the line of the James River 
 and Kanawha Canal. • 
 
 Ninety-seven thousand six hundred and eighty bushels (97,680), or 
 about thirty-five hundred tons of ice have been contracted for, at 
 prices varying from 75 to 90 cents, per bushel of 72 1-4 pounds, or 
 from !S;20.76 to $24.91 per ton of 2,000 pounds. These prices are 
 equivalent to, from one to one and a quarter cents, per pound, and are 
 to be piiid for all ice taken by the Government on or before the first 
 day of May, 1863; on all taken after that date, there is an increase 
 for each month thereafter, of about 1-8 cent, per pound. 
 
 Should there be a total failure in the season, the Government has, 
 in two of the contracts, viz : those with Graham and Locher, agreed 
 to pay one half, and in case of a partial failure, a proportionate part 
 of the cost of building the necessary houses. 
 
 I have the honor to be, 
 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 t 
 
 A. L. RIYES, 
 
 Major and Assistant to Chief Engineer. 
 
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