B. C. Cook to Richard Yates

Ottawa May 22 1865

Gov Gates

My dear Sir

The city bank of Eames Allen & Co has been the only state bank in Ottawa. It has never been discredited at all. It was one of the very few which never faltered in the wild out times but retired all its circulation at par. The men are staunch republicans and our friends They have responded most nobly & liturally to all calls for mony to raise soldiers. To sustain them, to feed the women & children in short to every call of patriotism They have sold some $200,000 of Govt Security They want to be a national bank They are entitled to it A national bk has been established by several citizens some of them first rate men but the bulk of the stock in the hands of Cushman & men of that stripe and now Freeman Clark in the Treasury dept says one national bank is enough for Ottawa. I want you to help me to get the city bank changed into a national bank. We need more than one The capital of this one is but $100,000 We purchused of corn alone year before last $2700.000 bushels Last years

statistics I have not got. you see that $100 000 is no supply of capital needed for the immense grain trade here There is more corn purchased from first [hands?] in this city than in any other town in the world

Will you write a letter to Sec McCullock & send it to me It can do no one any harm and may help our friends

Yours Truly

B. C. Cook

B. C. Cook

Wait for answer from Bushnell to letter just wrote him

May 23 1865