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196 Head Quarters Dist of Alabama Montgomery Sept 14. 1866 191/199 Howard Maj Genl. O.O Commissioner &c Washington D.C. General Pursuant to the tenor of your letter of the 28th Ult. repeated conferences have been had between Governor Patton, Mr. Cruikshank, and myself to concert measures for the releif of the destitute until such time, as the expense of that duty can be assumed by the State. The first conclusion at which we seemed to arrive was that the issue hereafter should be confined to Corn and Bacon. The second, that the purchases had better be made under authority from you, by a purchasing Commissary of your own selection or if you do not like this, he could report to me for orders. The vast quantity of bad flour, and meal, and the large number of short weight meat barrels that have been supplied hitherto, peremptorily dictate some such precaution. On the other hand the responsibility of expending money, is what we may all be excused for avoiding while there are officers especially commissioned for that purpose. The estimate cost of rations for this month, at 10,000 per day is not far from $55,000. It is proposed to supply next month instead, twenty thousand sacks of White Corn at a maximum cost of Thirty thousand Dollars, and One hundred thousand pounds of bacon sides at a maximum cost of fifteen thousand dollars with transportation added, would yet not exceed the present cost of ten thousand rations daily below which it has not been found practicable at any time to reduce the issue. The design is to supply an average of 400 sacks of corn and two hogsheads of bacon of a 1000 pounds each to each County for one month. There are fifty three Counties in all. Earlier in the season supplies (procured by negotiation of State bonds) of the same articles were issued and at nearly the same rate, in addition to the rations supplied by the Government. This was before the home crop of corn was made, but it shows the real want and appreciation of the need. Should this project have your approval it were well if it were entered upon at once. 197. An officer should be first sent to make the necessary purchases to whom particular directions can immediately be sent. Care should I think be taken to have every Cask and sack conspicuously labelled to prevent misapplication. Governor Patton has written a letter to the President as a parallel to this communication. He wrote just on the point of leaving town. I am sorry to see, reading it since he left, that he indulged in a fling at the Bureau as gratuitous and unfounded as it is singularly out of place. It is prefaced "Candor compels me to say" and in reply I am compelled to say that were I to give my candor equal rein, I should indite strictures even more severe and sweeping. I refrain simply because I see little use in bitter words about what I cannot help. I am General Very Respectfully Your Obdt Servant Wager Swayne Major General Head Quarters Dist of Alabama Montgomery Sept 15th, 1866 146/230 Callis Bvt Col J.B. Supt &c. Huntsville Ala Colonel Your letter of the 7th inst is received. After repeated conferences between Governor Patton, Mr. Cruikshank, and myself, at the instance of General Howard, a project has been set on foot which will in a great degree relieve the destitute in this State, unless it fail through a certain unfortunate action of the State Authorities themselves. Your activity in the matter of schools gives me much satisfaction. Since I saw you I have learned from General Howard that he has grave doubts as to his own authority to employ and pay teachers. With his usual generous manliness, he has assumed what has been done and authorized its continuance to November first. Meanwhile I have sent him an earnest appeal, and an exposition of the Statute which I hope will remove his apprehension.
