| Articles of agreement made this sixth day
of April 1864 between the Confederate States of America by their duly
authorized Commissioner, Major Minor Meriwether and the Atlantic &
Gulf Rail Road Company. |
| Whereas the said Atlantic
& Gulf Rail Road Company to wit on the fifteenth day of February
in the year 1864 did by a Resolution of its Board of Directors offer
to the Confederate States the use during the present war of the Road
Bed ??to constructed for a Railway between Lawton Station Nr 12 on the
line of the Atlantic & Gulf Rail Road and the boundary line
between the States of Georgia and Florida. Said Road Bed being part of
an intended Railway commonly called the Florida Branch Rail Road and
the Confederate States of America having by their said Commissioner
accepted the offer as aforesaid of the Atlantic & Gulf Rail Road
Company, and the Confederate States of America being about to complete
the said Florida Branch Rail Road by laying a Rail Road track upon the
Road Bed thereof and to use and operate said Florida Branch as a Rail
Road. Now this agreement witnesseth, That at the conclusion of the
present war the Confederate States of America will release, and
return, to the said Atlantic & Gulf Rail Road Company the said
Road Bed with all Bridges, C??pits, and all other appurtenances of
said Road Bed hitherto constructed by said company, and the
Confederate States will also release and restore without let or hindrance
to said Rail Road Company all and every the rights franchises, claims,
and interests of whatever kind which have ????? and do now belong to
and vest in ????? Rail Road Company in and to the Florida Branch
Railroad it being understood that the said Rail Road Company shall
have no title or claim to the superstructure to be lain thereupon by
the Confederate States or to any appurtenance thereto which the
Confederate States may construct but the Confederate States may remove
the same at the conclusion of the war, first allowing the said Rail
Road Company to purchase the said superstructure and any appertinania
thereof as aforesaid before the removal upon fair and ????? being
understood nevertheless that whereas the Confederate States of America
did to wit about the Nineteenth day of August in the year 1862 seize
and take for its own use six hundred and thirty six tons of iron rails
the property of said Atlantic & Gulf Rail Road Company, which was
intended to be laid on the track of the said Florida Branch Rail Road,
for which the said Rail Road Company has not received any value, now
therefore, in any bargain which may be made by the said Rail Road
Company for the purchase of the superstructure and the appurtenances
thereof laid or constructed by the Confederate States as aforesaid the
said Rail Road Company shall be credited with the value of the said
six hundred and thirty six tons of Iron rails (that is to say at the
rate of Eighty Dollars ($80) per ton) with interest upon the same of
said value from the 1st day of September 1862 to the time when the
Confederate States shall surrender the occupancy and use of said
Florida Branch Rail Road but if the said Atlantic & Gulf Rail Road
Company ????? to purchase the superstructure and the appurtenances
laid or constructed by the Confederate States as aforesaid the
Confederate States will in that event leave as much of the iron rail
laid in the superstructure as aforesaid as will amount to a fair and
equitable equivalent in recompense and return for the six hundred and
thirty six tons of iron rails seized and taken by the Confederate
States as aforesaid. |
| In witness thereof the said Major Minor
Meriwether commissioner on the part of the Confederate States of
America and John Screven President of the said Atlantic & Gulf
Rail Road Company have hereunto set their hands the day and year first
above written. |
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