| Meridian 4th November1863 |
| |
| Maj W. H. Dameron |
| Chf Comy Miss |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| I should be glad to cooperate
with you in checking speculation in the necessities of life, so far as I
can without interfering with the working of the Road, in compliance with
the request in your letter to me of yesterday. In your letter you give
as reasons for retaining the Sugar of the Road you have seized, "that it
was a particular lot notoriously the property of speculators" "that it
had already changed hands at a considerable advance on first cost" and
"that a large profit was realized on the sale to me." Now I am not aware
that it makes any difference to the Government when the Road got the
Sugar, how many times it had been bought & sold, or at what price, or of
whom it was purchased. The officers of the Road have received assurances
from high government officers that their purchases of supplies and
materials, for the use of the Road should be protected from seizure, and
it is a matter of great importance that the question should be
thoroughly tested, whether the company will be allowed to furnish the
Road with supplies or not, for upon it depends its ability to operate
and construct the Road, and perform the service demanded of it by the
government. I received communication this evening from Capt Schaff,
offering certain prices for "a lot of 26 Hhds of Sugar." I presume he
refers to the Sugar you seized. If so I beg to inform you that the
Company ha no Sugar for sale and will not agree to these or any other
prices. The matter has been partially reported by Telegraph to Richmond,
and will be fully reported in writing, & I trust and believe the Sugar
will be released, and delivered to the Company. |
| Yours Very Respectfully |
| M. B. Pritchard |
| Genl Supt |
| A&M Rivers RR
{Alabama & Mississippi Rivers RR} |
|