Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 8 [ Sept. 12, 1864-Apr. 14, 1865, undated, appendices].

Cotton Permit for John D. Champlin1Jump to section

Executive Mansion, City of Washington.
January, [22?] 1865.

It having been made satisfactorily to appear to me that John D. Champlin of the City of New York, is the owner of a large amount of Cotton, now being in the vicinage of the Port of Galveston and City of Houston, State of Texas, amounting to Eleven Thousand Bales, which it is right and proper he should be permitted, and which it is the true policy of the United States that he be authorized together with any other Cotton of which he may obtain possession to take and carry away from said State of Texas.

Now therefore, it is hereby ordered that permission be and is hereby given to the said John D. Champlin by himself, his agents, servants and employees, by means of Steamers, Ships or other Vessels, to proceed to, and take such Cotton and transport the same from said Port of Galveston, to the Port of Havana, or any Port within the United States.

And said Steamers, Ships or other Vessels, with such Cotton, shall be and are hereby declared free and exempt from seizure or detention or any molestation by any Officer of the Government. And Commandants of Military Departments, Districts, Posts, Detachments, Naval Stations, Ships of War, Squadrons, Gun Boats, Flotillas, and Fleets will observe this order, and obey the same---and will give the said John D. Champlin, his agents, servants and employees, Steamers, Ships, Vessels and Transports free and unmolested way and right of way for the purpose of getting and taking away said Cotton or any part thereof from the place aforesaid.

The said John D. Champlin is not to carry into the Port of Galveston any article goods or merchandize contraband of war, but may take into said Port Bagging and Rope and such articles as are not contraband of war, for the purposes aforesaid.

Annotation

[1]   Df (copy?), DLC-RTL. The editors have not been able to determine whether Lincoln ever signed or issued this permit. The bracketed portion of the date is supplied on the basis of John D. Champlin's memorial of January 20, 1865:

``Your memorialist, John D. Champlin, of the city of New York respectfully represents as follows:

``I am a native of the State of Rhode Island and at present a resident of the City of New York For more than twenty years next preceding the . . . Rebellion, I was a resident of Louisiana and other Southern States. . . .

``I am now the owner of about Eleven Thousand Bales of Cotton, all at and in the vicinity of Galveston and Houston in the State of Texas.

``I desire to obtain from the United States authorities the requisite authority and permission to bring such cotton from Texas by the way of the Port of Galveston. . . .'' (DLC-RTL).

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