come on shore. The
provost marshal, who by this time appeared to be very willing to
"help us all he could," took the invoice to General Foster, and came
back with permission to land all of some things, one half the dry
goods, one third only of the grocery supplies, flour, bacon, etc. We
shall probably have to sell the rest at Hilton Head. Very provoking.
Some of the supplies were small enough as they were; what is left will
be about a mouthful apiece all around; _e. g._, one hundred and eighty
barrels of flour came; my share would be about thirty-five. I could
have sold twenty-five whole barrels, and peddled out the rest in six
weeks. My share of sixty barrels will be about twelve! The provost
marshal could not see what the people wanted of so much provision. Yet
he has at his office the census of all these plantations, besides a
written statement prepared by Mr. Soule of the amount bought at these
stores within the last six months and the lists of purchases over five
dollars at a time (we have to keep these lists, as one condition of
keeping store).

Besides restricting the quantity of goods, all the stores are to be
closed except those at R.'s and Folsom's. I may sell what I have on
hand, but not take in anything more. Ignorance, stupidity, and
conceit.

E. S. P. TO C. P. W.

_Boston, Aug. 24._ The recent assumption of authority by the military
officials seems to have extinguished the Treasury Department in Port
Royal. It is a difficult case to reach, for this officious
intermeddling bears the semblance of earnest and zealous watchfulness
of the public interests. Any representations at Washington will avail
nothing, so long as Colonel H. cherishes the idea, or pretends to,
that it is not for the public welfare to have us sell bacon and
'lasses at Coffin's Point. Any permission from the Treasury Department
which would appear to him as too lenient would only give him another
chance to exercise his authority, which tickles his vanity and makes
him appear a big man. A difference of opinion between him and myself
would hardly be listened to at Washington, so long as it is upon a
subject on which his superiors think him qualified to judge better
than myself. Suppose the Secretary of the Treasury were to allow goods
to be taken from Hilton Head without restriction, General Foster and
Colonel H. would still think the rebels would get them, and, having
the power in their own hands, would not be likely to allow us to avai