The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 21, July 1917 - April, 1918 Page: 343
434 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department, 1863-1865 343
route; while those remittances which arrived were usually in the
form of drafts on Richmond and so large that they could not be
cashed.62 Treasury agent sent over in the winter of 1863 could
give but little relief. Soldiers often were not paid for months;
and many families of deceased soldiers suffered for want of pay
long overdue."3 By December, 1861, only $8,000,000 had been re-
ceived of the new issue authorized by the act of February 17,
while the outstanding indebtedness of the department had reached
$60,000,000 in spite of the fact that the commander ha.d utilized
a great part of the cotton of the department to help supply his
needs.64
The treasury agency, authorized by Congress in January, 1864,
was opened for business in Marshall, Texas, July 1, 1864. P. W
Gray, the agent, assumed charge of the regulation of the currency
under the several funding acts, received, deposited, and controlled
the funds, and supervised all accounting of the finances. It is
difficult to determine the exact relation between the commander
and the agent, for though under the strict letter of the law the
latter was accountable only to. his superiors at Richmond, there
are indications that he not only frequently deferred to the wishes
of General Smith but in one important matter left under his con-
trol business that belonged rather to the treasury than to the
military. The funds of this agency came chiefly from two sources
the proceeds from the sale of the government cotton in the de-
partment and the funds sent over from the treasury at Richmond.
Of the former, Smith exercised general control; his cotton bureau
bought cotton and under his orders exported and sold it; he then
allowed the treasury agent, Gray, to received the proceeds, and re-
quired him to pay out the same on requisitions approved at de-
partment headquarters." Over remittances from Richmond he ex-
ercised no direct control, and these funds were disbursed by the
treasury agent upon requisition of the commander.6" He detailed
men to carry on the work of the agency and interfered by force
"6Johnson to Cooper, November 6, 1863, Off. Recs., XXTI, ii, 1060-1061.
"Smith to Davis, November 15, 1863, Off. Recs., XXII, ii, 1069-1070.
"Smith to Davis, December 13, 1186.4, Off. Recs., XLI, iv, 1109.
"'Smith to Gray, October 6, 18.64, Off. Recs., XLI, iii, 984.
"WMeeim to Gray, October ,1, 1864, Off. Recs., XLI, iv, 1006.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 21, July 1917 - April, 1918, periodical, 1918; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101073/m1/349/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.