Wilmington, N. C., September 17th, 1861.
At a meeting of the Committee of Safety for the town of Wilmington, the following proceeding was adopted:
Honorable Wm. S. Ashe having reported that he had procured from Governor Letcher, of Virginia, an eight-inch columbiad and a supply of muskets—
"Resolved, That the thanks of this Committee are eminently due and are hereby most earnestly tendered to his Excellency John Letcher, Governor of Virginia, for the promptness with which he has responded to the application for arms by this Committee.
"Resolved, That a copy of the foregoing resolution be handed to Mr. Ashe, with the request that he will communicate the same to Governor Letcher."
S. D. Wallace, Secretary.
Richmond, Va., September 21st, 1861.
Honorable Wm. S. Ashe:
Dear Sir—I have had the honor to receive your letter of yesterday, enclosing resolutions adopted by the Committee of Safety for the town of Wilmington, expressive of their thanks for the arms which it was in my power to furnish for their defence. In the distribution of the arms, &c., at my disposal, it has afforded me pleasure to provide, as far as possible, for the defence, not only of my own State, but of all the Confederate States, engaged as we are in a common cause for the maintenance of rights and institutions dear to us all.
I return to the Committee my acknowledgments for their resolutions, and many thanks to you for the kind terms which you have employed in communicating them to me.
I am, truly,
John Letcher.
Richmond, Va., October 9th, 1862.
My Dear Governor—I have the honor to present to you Mr. Edmund Turner, of my staff, and to say that you will place me under the greatest of obligations by delivering to him the order for the arms which you were kind enough to offer me day before yesterday, and by informing him how and where they are to be obtained.
Please let me have as many as you can spare.
I shall thus be made by you doubly welcome to my new command, and in the use of these arms promise to justify your kindness.
I am engaged this evening with a part of my family, who have just arrived from the country, and will leave to-morrow morning.
Under no other circumstances would I have failed to call upon you and thank you for the prompt and efficient manner in which
