| Hd Qrs Dept Ala Miss & E. La. |
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Selma Ala Novr 13th 1864 |
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Maj. Gen Withers |
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Comdg Reserves |
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Montgomery Ala |
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Genl, |
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I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your
communication of the 4th & 9th inst with stated enclosure & will at once
put a stop to all impressment of negroes in Ala save those conducted by
Officers under your orders. I cannot see the use or philosophy of
impressing negroes that are already at work on RRoads steamboats and
other Government works, with the consent of their owners, the negroes
you are ordered to impress are, as the Genl Comdg Mil Dis of the West
informs you in the telegram of Novr 5th to be placed upon RRoads. What
then can be the use of impressing negroes already hired and at work upon
those roads, or the justice of refusing to order the hands they
voluntarily furnished upon the quotas of the parties furnishing them?
This refusal will of course stop all hiring to RRoads and the public
works, the delay in impressing & placing the negroes, on the work, must
necessarily be considerable and also involve much expense. After they
are placed at the points wanted as ??? as which you are collecting them
you will require a large aggregate force to guard them. The difficulties
are all obviated by the system of permitting owners to hire their
negroes and receive credits upon their quotas for the number of hands so
hired. Besides there are negroes enough in Ala belonging to persons who
have never furnished any hands to the Govt by hiring or otherwise to
raise without difficulty the number you are directed to impress in the
State. As a matter of expediency and of justice I trust you will devise
some means of adopting my views on this subject. |
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It seems you are directed to follow the instructions of the
Genl Comdg Mil. Dis of the West on this subject. I therefore add that I
have conversed fully with that officer relative to the matter, and his
views and mine are identical as to the expediency and justice of
crediting the assessed quantity of individual owners with all hands
hired voluntarily to any Govt line of communication (that is to any RR
or steamboat used for Govt transportation) and actually engaged at work
on such line at the time of the assessment. Would it not be well to
telegraph the Hon Secy of War on this subject and obtain from him the
necessary discretionary power to enable you to act in the premises as I
have suggested. |
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I am General |
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??? Respy Yr Obt Servt |
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R Taylor |
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Lt Genl Comdg |
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