Freight Receipt

Below is a Richmond & Danville Railroad Freight Receipt from 1863

Richmond & Danville Rail Road Company's Freight Receipt

   By this receipt it is agreed, that the terms and conditions contained in the Table of Rates of Transportation of the Company, published on the 24th day of April, 1863, shall be binding on the parties hereto: and particularly, they agree to the following, viz: That the Company will not be held responsible for goods or produce deposited in their depots, for shipment, until orders for transportation have been furnished to the Company, (and not then, if the cars have been taken up by the Government, for the transportation of troops or army supplies, or during the time the cars are so occupied,) nor for the said goods or produce after they have been transported to the depots they are destined for, except as warehousemen: That consignees will rely upon their consignors to inform them of the arrival of their goods, and will remove them from the Company's depots within twenty-four hours after their arrival; and if they fail to do so, the Company may, at the cost and risk of the owner, either forward them to the consignee, by another carrier, or remove and store them: That the Company will not be held responsible for any delay in the transportation of goods caused by the war, storms, floods, accidents to the road or cars, or unusual press of business; nor for any money, bills, bonds, notes, gold or silver ware, jewelry, clocks, watches, silks, lacos, pictures, glass-ware, or any like articles of great value, unless a special contract is made to carry the same: That all articles shall be properly packed and secured: and as the Company's agents cannot make a special examination of each package to ascertain the quantity or quality of goods entrusted to them, it is agreed that the Company will not be held responsible for leakage, breakage, or bursting of vessels, boxes or packages, nor for any loss or injury to the contents thereof; nor for the loss or injury to any article transported by the Company, unless it shall be shown that the said loss or injury resulted from the misconduct or negligence of the Company or its agents. And it is especially agreed, that the Company shall not be held responsible for any leakage or loss whatever of liquors or liquids of any kind, nor for any article which they agree to transport at a less rate of freight than is contained in the Table of Rates referred to above.