This letter is 8 pages long with a large portion marked “Private”.  There are some really great comments that are of historical significance. 

Miles was the delegate from South Carolina to the Confederate Provisional Congress in Montgomery, Alabama from 1861 to 1862 and Representative from South Carolina in the Confederate Congress from 1862 to 1865.  He served as Colonel on the staff of General Beauregard at both Charleston, in the build up to the attack on Fort Sumter and at the battle of Bull Run.  In 1880 became President of the University of South Carolina at Columbia. 

It was Miles who designed the Confederate battle flag!  He originally designed it as a Confederate “National Flag” but the Army adopted it as the Official Battle Flag for the Army of Northern Virginia.  

                        
                                                                                                                                            “Richmond, April 24, 1864

                My Dear Bonham,

      Your first letter asking whether the Prest. paid tax on salary I did not answer for some
time because I could not see Chesnut the only one around the Prest. that I cared to make the
 inquiry of.  I telegraphed you some days ago to the effect that he does pay.  I have received
your second letter covering copies of letters from Mr. Furman and Mr. Mitchell.  I have seen
 Mr. Seddon and Mr. Memminger on the subject.  The latter has the exclusive management
of the buying and selling abroad of all Govt. cotton.  The Secretary of War has charge of this
transportation (over R.R.’s etc.) to the port of shipment and the loading of vessels with it. 
The Sec. of the Navy has charge of its conveyance across the water and delivery abroad –
appointing or assigning officers to command all Govt. ships etc.  All of this you knew before. 
The Prest. has decided that all vessels whether owned wholly and exclusively or partially by
States, or by corporations or by private individuals must take out one half of the cargo for
the Govt. so that there will be no discrimination between State vessels and any other vessels. 
The argument as given me by Mr. Memminger, for this uniform rule, without any
discrimination in favor of the States, as first contemplated, is this – that it was becoming
obvious that in a very little while, by some management or arrangement, all the vessels
 would appear to be State Vessels and the consequences would be that the Confederate Govt.
would hardly be able to get a share in any cargo and that until it could procure a
considerable number of vessels of its own (a work of time) it would be deprived of the benefit
of the law made especially for its necessities abroad and its interests at home.  There have
been Mr. Memminger says some special exceptions – for instance North Carolina was
allowed to send out the ‘Advance’ without restriction because she was loaded and waiting
while the Cabinet were discussing the ‘General Regulations’ and before any conclusions had
been arrived at.  So she is allowed to send a full cargo in the ‘Edith’ now at Wilmington –
because the Edith has come over for the purpose of receiving the cotton due for things
procured by N.C. sometime ago under a pledge that the cotton would be sent to Europe as
 soon as the Creditors sent a vessel to carry it away.

      Mr. Memminger tells me that the Prest. has referred the case of the State cotton, as
presented in the papers laid before him by Messers Furman & Porter, to himself for a report. 
He says he thinks the case a very meritorious one and is very strongly disposed to this
conclusion that the State ought to have a special privilege (of sending out some cotton)
extended to her, in view of the fact, that from a series of misunderstandings she suffered
injury & loss – or at least was deprived of the benefit of the promise made to her in good
faith by the Secretary of War and relying, of course, upon which she had proceeded to make
all her arrangements for sending her cotton abroad.  I think from what Mr. Memminger
said that something will be done to repair the wrong which our State has suffered.  At least
 I hope so.  But of course, Mr. Furman & Mr. Porter will be in communication with Mr. M.
as their statement has been referred to him and so will receive the earliest information of
the decision come to by the Govt. on this case.

Private --- I was in hopes that I would have been able to visit Charleston before Congress
 meet and to have passed through Columbia and seen you and talked over many things.  But
 Mrs. Miles for the last five weeks has been so sick (most of the time in bed) that it has been
 impossible for me to leave her.  She is now better and able to walk about a little.  The
climate here in winter is too much for her, and this winter has extended to past the middle
 of April.  The prospect is brighter now than it has been since the beginning of the War.  Our
 armies stronger and better – the enemy’s weaker and worse – than they have been for a
year past.  Gold steadily rising beyond the reach of Mr. Chase’s manipulations.  The enemy
 have been foiled in every attempt this year.  We have gained brilliant and important
successes.  Discontent and intrigues for the Presidency are weakening and distracting the
Northern People – the jealousy of the North West of New England is becoming more and
more pronounced – and (or most significant sign) of ‘free speech’ begins to be heard and to
assert itself with manliness in the Yankee Congress.

                                                                              Very truly yours,

                                                                                          Wm. Porcher Miles

 

Living here is frightfully high.  Beef $5 to $6 – Flour $300 a barrel, chickens $12 to $20
apiece, eggs $7 a dozen, butter $10 to $15 a pound etc. etc etc. Hence the importance of
removing mouths of non-combatants but any notion of moving the Government (as has been
hinted in some papers) from Richmond has never been for a moment thought of.  I believe
Richmond never has been more secure than it is now.

 

Mrs. Miles sends her kind regards and hopes you will not forget the Photograph.  I don’t
think a battle between Lee and Grant can now be much longer delayed and Lee will most
certainly whip him – you may rely on that.

                                                                                          Yours very truly”

There is another sheet used as a wrapper written in the hand of Governor Bonham, “Send copy so much as this letter as refers to State vessels to Mr. Furman – by order of Gov. ”

An amazing historical piece of the Confederacy!

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