ell last fall, as you know, on the subject of food, and fears were entertained that suffering, if not actual starvation, would be witnessed in many quarters.
Under the authority conferred upon me by your body I purchased and stored away about 50,000 bushels of corn, 250,000 pounds of bacon, quantity of rice, &c., which I expected would go but little way in supplying the general wants.
When the season closed and the new crop came in, however, to my surprise and gratification, I found that Major Hogg, Commissary of Subsistence, had only issued to the County Commissioners about one-third of the bacon less than one-half of the corn, and but very little of the rice.
He reports still on hand some 70,000 lbs. of bacon, having fed a number of negroes engaged on the public works and sold to the army 100,000 lbs., with 20,000 bushels of corn.
I have reason to believe that from various causes the crops this year have not been as abundant as usual, and that the public will be called on to do m
