| New Orleans Nov. 28th 1861 |
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| To His Exc'y President Davis |
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| 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 |
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| To Secy of War for action. JD |
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