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1053

Columbus Miss Decr. 23. 1863

We will undertake to furnish the State of Mississippi with 30,000 [gap] pairs of Cotton Cords, or any portion thereof that may be desirable, of wollen Cards, all to be of approved quality for the Sum of (100,000$) one Hundred thousand Dollars and deliver the same at Meridian or Macon Mississippi

We are to incur all risk, furnish Capital and pay our own expences.

In consideration for the Same we are to be allowed to ship [note]15000[/note] [gap] thousand^Hundred Bales Cotton to the Mississippi River, to Memphis or New Orleans, without molestation or hindrance on the part of our forces; or to allow the party Contracting with, to receive the Cotton at a given point where the Cards will be delivered.

We propose to exchange the Cotton we shall ship (and which now belongs to the Confederate States in the Missi-ssippi Botton) for that on the line of the Mobile & O. R. Road on terms that may be agreed upon (if desirable on his part) betwen the agent in Chief of the Produce Loan Department for the State of Mississippi and ourselves, thereby saving that amount of Cotton that would otherwise probably be lost.

We furthermore propose in conjunction with this proposition to furnish to the Govenor of this State Such Clothing, medicines and other articles as he may designate to the amount of [gap] Dollars, at Cost and charges and (25) Twenty five percent aded, for the further priviledge of shiping [gap] Bales of Cotton as above stated, and bind ourselves to Credit the State for a portion of the same (not less than 150.000$) if so desired by the Govenor of said State until the Legislature shall again Convene and make appropriations for the same.

Undertaking this Contract at our own risk we are to give no Bond in case of failure to accomplish the result but will give any bond for its faithful performance in case we should succeed in getting out the Cards & Clothing Our plans will be put into immediate Execution and the result ascertained within forty days after the Contract is Concluded.

Respectfully Submitted to his Excellency Gov Clarke by
Baskerville & Whitfield and Co