William J. Hutchins to Pendleton Murrah, May 14, 1864

Texas Cotton Office
Houston May 14 1864

Governor

On my return from the country last evening I acknowl-
edged your letters of the 7th & 10th Inst and enclosed an
order which under your views will so far as the cotton office
or its action is concerned give I presume the scope you
desire to cotton operations under the state plan and Military
Board. My information is that purchasing cotton under
the State plan has continued ever since the publication of
Genl Nichols’ order. I have never known so wide a difference
between the objects and action (as explained your letter)
of the author of a plan, responsible for and having the ______[?]
to control it, and those of the agents selected to execute
it, and all seems to work in under “the plan[.]”

I also learn that on the nominal suspension of the State
plan the Military Board engaged in active operations for
the purchase of cotton. Does it also give permits? In the
current military phase of the day you seem Governor, rather
to have changed your base, than to have really suspended
operations[.]

I again respectfully request from your Excellency
a statement of the cotton procured and exempted under the
“State plan” also the Military Board: from and by whom
in what county[,] the number of bales and dates, as you
required regular reports, and over a month has elapsed
since Genl Nichols order. This information is before you
and I hope the statement can be sent me at once if it has
not already been done. You can readily see its useful-