NA, SWR 11/28/1861

New Orleans Nov. 28th 1861
 
To His Exc'y President Davis
 
My Dear Sir,
   The public interests no less than my own, requires me to trespass a moment on your time. About the time France began to construct iron-plated ships of war I loaned the Mexican Gulf Rail Road Company upwards of fifteen thousand dollars in cash & took a mortgage on the iron on the road to secure the payment. It is wrought iron in plates, the size & shape of those used in covering war vessels. The Company is owing, not only me, but others, & lately so to the road to pay its debts. The purchasers wanted the iron on the road for ship-building purposes -- iron-clad steam propellers. Genl Lovell makes some use of the road as a means of communication between the city and a little fort at Proctorville on Lake Borgne, and refuses to permit the iron to be used for any other purposes than as a road. The purchasers will not receive & pay for the property because Genl Lovell will not permit it to be used as they wish. In the mean time the Rail Road Company, in which my son in law, Mr. Gordon, is a large stock holder, are hard pressed by this conduct. I am also pressed by my creditors for fifteen thousand dollars which I am owing. I have no other means of paying than the money due me from the Rail Road Company. The iron on the road, being wrought-iron, is very saleable & very valuable at the present time. But the money can not be had for it, because Genl Lovell will not permit it to be sold. I fear I shall be ruined & the Rail Road Company too. If the government were benefited thereby I would not complain. But the iron would be ten thousand times more useful to the Confederate States in the shape of bullet proof coverings on steam propellers & privateers than in the shape of rails on a shackling Rail Road only 28 miles long & but little used. If the Government were to purchase the iron & supply its place with T iron, the difficulty would be avoided & all the parties benefited. If the Govt. did not see fit to construct iron-clad war vessels with it they could sell the iron for more than they gave for it, to private individuals who would.
Yours very truly
Saml. A. Cartwright
 
To Secy of War for action. JD

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