New Orleans Sept 13th 1862
Dear Sir: The
business of the Custom House goes on satisfactorily.
The amount of duties now in my hands is $135,540 72/100. I
hope you will soon draw for at least a portion of this amount.
Great excitement prevails in the City on account of news rec'd
up to dates of the 3rd from Washington & later from Kentucky. It is
believed by secessionists that Washington & Cincinnati are captured. Probably many of these
stories are circulated to prevent people from taking the oaths of allegiance1
to the U. S. before the 23 inst. From present appearances, I think Gen. Butler
intends to be very severe toward those who fail to take the oath by that time.
The City is healthy. All or nearly all the Rebel troops are
withdrawn from this part of the country, for the purpose, as is supposed, of
being sent North.
It is known here that reinforcements will be sent hither
this Fall or Winter, & it is hoped they will be sufficient to take
possession of the whole State. But a small portion of the Sugar crop has been
destroyed & there is also a good deal of cotton left, all of which will be
exported when an opportunity presents itself.
_______________
1 General Orders No. 41, June 10, 1862, provided
for the administration of the oath of allegiance or of neutrality to such as
would come forward to take the one or the other; and General Orders No. 71,
September 13, 1862, read: "As in the course of ten days it may become
necessary to distinguish the disloyal from the loyal citizens and honest
neutral foreigners residing in this department," etc. Rebellion Records,
Series I, Vol. XV, pp. 483, 571.
SOURCE: Diary and correspondence of Salmon P. Chase, Annual
Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1902, Vol.
2, p. 314
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