| Executive Department |
| Tallahassee May 7th 1863 |
| |
| Brigr Genl Finnegan |
| Lake City |
| |
| General, |
| I would respectfully invite
your attention to the enclosed copy of a letter from Lt Gift. The
scarcity of iron seems to give a peculiar charm to the iron in the R. R.
alluded to {Florida RR} for all important
war purposes. |
| Your intimate relations with
Mr Yulee, and knowledge of facts connected with the ownership of the
iron, induces my appeal to you for the necessary assistance to
obtain it for the use of the Government. |
| However much Mr Yulee may have
been opposed to the claims of R. R. Companies, which he may have
considered based upon the hopes of private benefit, I will not permit
myself to believe, that he will not cheerfully yield the iron to any
thing else that he owns or controls, to sustain the Confederate States
in their defence. |
| Will you do me the favor to
write to him on the subject and inform me of the result. |
| I have the honor to be |
| General |
| Respectfully |
| John Milton |
| Gov of Fla |
|