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THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 THE COLLECTION OF 
 NORTH CAROLINIANA 
 
 Transferred from Department 
 of Archives and History 
 
 Cp970.75 
 
 0U8 
 
 c.2 
 
"0 4- 
 
 C v 7 
 
 BLOCKADE-RUNNING 
 
 BY 
 
 State of North Carolina, 
 
 1363--'64. 
 
 WILLIAM H. OLIVER, 
 
 NEWBERN, N. C. 
 
BLOCKADE-RUNNING 
 
 By the State of ITorth Carolina, 
 
 1863-'G4. 
 
 Xewbern, N. C, September 1st, 1895. 
 James Spruit, Esq.: — • 
 
 Early in 1863 I was commissioned by Gov. Z. B. Vance, 
 an agent for the State of North Carolina to purchase Cotton for 
 Blockade-running purposes. The instruction which I received 
 through Major John Devereux, Quarter Master Gen. for N. C, 
 was to buy every bale of Cotton that I could purchase, and to 
 pay a stipulated price of twenty cents per pound. I went at 
 once to the sections nearest the Federal lines so as to get all the 
 Cotton out of the reach of the Federal troops if a raid should be 
 made by them. 
 
 In a short time I purchased about seven thousand bales and 
 paid for the same about Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars. On 
 account of the scarcity of Rail Road accommodation it was a 
 tedious matter to get the Cotton moved. 
 
 Arrangements had been made to ship the Cotton as fast as 
 possible by running it through the blockade at Wilmington, N. 
 C. A large part of the Cotton was taken to Graham, N. C, it 
 being unsafe to leave it in the eastern part of the State. 
 
 Mr. John White of Warrenton, N. C. was appointed agent 
 for the sale of it in England. Mr. White sailed from Charleston, 
 S. C. on the steamer Leopard on the 15th day of November 1862. 
 A number of cargoes were shipped to him and from a report of 
 his to Gov. Vance, it will be seen that he purchased with the 
 proceeds of Cotton and N. C. Cotton Bonds — 
 
The steamship Lord Clyde afterwards known as the Advance, at 
 
 a cost of £35.000 §175.000. 
 
 150.115 yards Grey Cloth 6-4 wide, 
 
 11.023 " " " 3-4 " 
 
 28.582 " "Flannel 6-4 " 
 
 ■ * 83.173 " " " 3-4 " ' 
 
 2.978 " Brown Canvass-Padding. 
 
 25.887 pair Grey Blankets. 
 
 37.092 " Woolen Socks. 
 
 26.096 . " Army Shoes. 
 
 .530 " Cavalry Boots. 
 
 1.956 Angola Shirts. 
 
 7.872 yards Grev Flannel Shirts. 
 
 1.006 CJoth Overcoats. 
 
 1.002 " Jackets. 
 
 1.010 pairs cloth Trousers. 
 
 Quantity of Sole and Harness Leather. 
 
 20,000 pair Army Shoes. 
 
 10,000 " Grey Blankets. 
 
 1,920 " Flannel Shirts. 
 
 5,800 yards Army Cloth 6-4. 
 
 10,000 " 
 
 7,000 pairs Cotton and Wool Cards. 
 
 • 5 machines for making Cotton Cards with 
 wire sufficient to keep them running 12 
 months. 
 
 A large quantity of the Cotton was delivered by order of 
 Gov. Vance to Messrs John JNTewlan & Sons, at Saxapahawee Fac- 
 tory to be manufactured into Cloth and Yarn. The cloth was 
 delivered to the Quarter Master for the use of the army and the 
 yarn was exchanged in Virginia for leather, which was made in- 
 to shoes. The card machines were put up in Mr. William H. 
 Willard's Factory, and a large number of pairs of cards were made 
 and distributed by me all over the State. 
 
 At the close of the war about 200 bales of the Cotton was 
 at Graham, 1ST. C. and it Avas taken by Col. D. Heaton of the U. 
 S. Treasury Department. 
 
 Very Respectfully, 
 p 3<t~7*f William H. Oliver. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 00032744371 
 
 This book must not 
 be taken from the 
 Library building. 
 
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