D, QM 2/6/1865

Augusta Georgia Febry 6th 1865
 
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

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