Augusta Georgia Febry 6th 1865 |
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Col. Brent A. A. G. |
|
Colonel, |
Under "Special Field
Order" No 144 and instructions from Col E. I. Henry a Tennessee I
General, I am in Augusta to make a "thorough and rigid
examination" into certain complaints made by Mg'n W. E. Moore C.
S. in reference to the Subsistence Department and to collect all facts
bearing on those complaints as well as upon all others of a similar
nature brought before me. |
Col Harvey from military
exigencies is not now within my reach, and as I desire action on the
part of the Government, necessary to correct what appears to be an
abuse of the public transportation, I address you, disregarding the
well known rule of Military Correspondence. |
I have discovered beyond any
question that much private property has been carryed on Rail
Roads, the transportation being furnished by persons connected with
the Quarter Master's Department. The difficulty of fixing the
responsibility of this criminal conduct is apparent from the system
pursued. A Quarter Master at any point in Virginia will consign
property to a Commissary in Mississippi; send a Special Messenger to
accompany the shipment; furnishing him with the Transportation Invoice
and Coupons of transportation to all the connecting points of transit
on the Route. When the Messenger arrives at the Market intervening
between the place of consignment and destination, which he thinks will
yield the largest profit, the transportation invoice is suppressed,
the coupon is delivered to the Rail Road. After passing through
various hands, the property is delivered to he holder of the coupon,
there sold & the profit realized. Thus you perceive no clue can be
obtained in the Q. Masters offices after the point of consignment, of
real ownership in the property. |
Cognate to the above subject
and upon which I would respectfully ask instruction in the following
-- |
Maj. A. M. Brogan Q. M. at
Milledgeville Georgia has made many contracts as have informed &
believe to convey private freight from Mayfield to Medway by means of
Government wagons. One of those contracts was with Robert, Dunlap
& Co of Macon by which 212 Boxes of Tobacco were transported.
Another was made with E. S. Park's and still another with Goodrich
& Co of Columbus. Others have been reported, but it is not deemed
necessary to mention them particularly. |
In the case of E. S. Parks the
shipper was to pay at the rate of eight pounds of Bacon per hundred
pounds of freight conveyed. |
I submit what appears to me to
be settled -- |
1st |
That no Quarter Master by the Regulations, or any
Law of Congress is authorized to use the public conveyance of
the Country for the transportation of private property. |
2nd |
If the public exigencies require the use of its conveyances
for the transportation of private property in consideration of
Bacon or payment in other subsistence stores then such Bacon or
other stores should be transferred upon invoice to Subsistence
officers for issue in the manner designated by Law. |
|
Vry Respectfully |
Tom S McCay, Adjt 7th Miss Battn |