| Jackson Feby 6, 1863 |
| |
| Major Ranney |
| Prest N. O. J. & G. N. R. R. Co {New
Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern RR} |
| |
| Sir, |
| This letter will be handed to you by Dr.
J. L. Clark of the firm of Clark, Ford & Hurt who have been
importing from N. O. large supplies for the Army and in
consideration thereof have been allowed the privilege of exporting
cotton, he has shown me an order of Lieut Genl Pemberton to you, as
President of the road to transport the cotton, upon payment of the
Freight, but he is informed that you have declined to transport the
Cotton at all unless you receive a Bond of indemnity that the Cotton
will not be disposed of, so as to render the Road liable. I have
examined the letter of Genl. Pemberton to you requesting the
Shipment of the Cotton, and am free to say that its legal effect
will be to relieve the Road from all responsibility whatever and I
doubt not that its effect will be highly beneficial to the
Confederacy, in the way of procuring additional Supplies much needed
by the Army at any event the Government of the Confederate States
will be bound by the order of Genl. Pemberton of Jany 19th 1863 to
which I refer, and the Road thereby relieved of all responsibility.
The Government is bound in good faith to transport the Cotton,
having already received the full benefit of the contracts whereby
they became bound to permit the Cotton to pass out of the
Confederacy. I cannot perceive how the Road is to be injured in any
respect by carrying it, as the road only extend to Ponchatoula which
is a Point within the limits of the Confederacy, and within the
Confederate lines and you would have a right to carry it without any
Government authority whatever to that Point. |
| Yours Respectfully |
| John D. Freeman |
| N. B. |
|
| The only danger to the Road will arise
from the refusal to carry the Cotton because as common carriers they
have to right to refuse to carry freight when they are able to do it
-- the law requires them to perform this service. |
| J.D.F. |
|