Mr. Burnley to Mr. Hunter
Washington,
April 18, 1865.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit, in original,
affidavits relative to property alleged to have been seized at Savannah
by the United States officers, and stated to belong to James Hart, who
claims British protection.
This property consists of two wagons, a horse, a mule, and six bales of
cotton, the whole valued at $3,529.
I would beg you to take these papers into consideration with a view to a
settlement of the claim, should his British nationality and neutrality
be fully made out.
I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient,
humble servant.
Hon. W. Hunter,
&c., &c., &c.
P. S.—I beg you to return the affidavits to me.
[Enclosure.]
United States of America, State of Georgia, Chatham county, city of
Savannah.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known, that on the 3d day of April, A. D. 1865, before me,
Edward C. Hough,’at, public notary, duly appointed, commissioned,
and sworn, for the county and State aforesaid,, personally appeared
James Hart, an alien, and a subject of her Britannic Majesty the
Queem of Great Britain, residing in the city of Savannah, county and
State aforesaid, who, being; duly sworn, declares that on or before
the 21st day of December, A. D. 1864, that being the-day on which
the city of Savannah was occupied by the military forces of the
United States, he, the said James Hart, was the bona fide owner of the following named articles of
property, to wit:
| One wagon, of the value of |
$75 00 |
| One wagon, of the value of |
$50 00 |
| One horse, of the value of |
$200 00 |
| One mule, of the value of |
$60 00 |
| Six (6) bales of upland cotton, marked J. H., weighing
thirty-nine hundred and thirty (3,930) pounds, reported and
registered at the office of Lieutenant Colonel H. C. Eansom,
United States army quartermaster, in charge of cotton, and
valued at eighty (80) cents per pound |
$3,144 00 |
| Total value |
$3,529 00 |
And the same James Hart further declares that the various articles of
property before named have been unlawfully seized and removed from
his possession and control without his consent and against his will,
he being, and having been for some time past, the bona fide owner of said property, by officers of the
United States army, as follows:
December 27, 1864, one wagon, valued at $75; January 13, 1865, one
wagon, valued at $50; January 18, 1865, one horse, valued at $200,
taken by officers who stated that they were connected with the 20th
United States army corps, and who refused to give their names, as
also any receipt and acknowledgment therefor, except for the horse,
for which a receipt was given, a true copy of which is herein
written; March 6, 1865, one mule, valued at $60, taken by an officer
who stated that he belonged to the 19th army corps of the United
States, and who refused to give any receipt therefore; and on the
11th day of March, A. D. 1865, six bales of cotton, upland, weighing
3,930 pounds, stored upon the premises of the said James Hart, on
Bemen street, Savannah, and of which a copy of the original bill of
sale is herein Written, were taken by Lieutenant Colonel H. C.
Ransom, of the United States army, as quartermaster in charge of
cotton, or by persons acting under orders from or in conjunction
with him.
Now, therefore, in view of the principles of international law, the
said James Hart does solemnly protest, and I, the said notary
public, at the special instance and request of the said James Hart,
do solemnly and publicly protest, against the said seizure and
removal of said
[Page 132]
property
on the ground that the government of which he is a subject is at
peace with the government of the United States of America, and that
the said James Hart is not and has not been in any way connected
with or compromised in the belligerent operations now and for some
time past in progress within the country of the United States of
America; that neither his person nor his property is or ought to be
impressed with a hostile character, and that he is entitled to the
consideration and protection of the laws of the United States of
America as a neutral resident, as aforesaid.
This done and protested in the city of Savannah, county of Chatham,
State of Georgia, and United States of America, on the day and in
the year aforesaid.
In testimony whereof, I have caused the same James Hart to sign these
presents, and I, the said Public, have subscribed my name
officially, and have affixed my seal of office on the day and year
aforesaid.[seal.]
JAMES HART.
EDWARD HOUGH, Notary
Public, Chatham County.
[Untitled]
Savannah, Georgia,
January 18, 1865.
In accordance with instructions from Major General W. T. Sherman,
commanding military division of the Mississippi, I hereby certify
that I have this day taken possession of one (1) horse in behalf of
the United States; said horse was in possession of James Hart, of
Savannah, Georgia, in a stable situated on Banyen street, known as
Robertsville, and number not stated. No payment has been made or
tendered for said horse; it will be found accounted for, upon my
return of quartermaster stores for the month of January, 1865, in
due accordance with section 22, Appendix B, Revised Regulations.
JOSEPH A. SCHONLUGER, Capt. 68th Inf. O. V., and A. A. Gen’l 20th A. C.
Duplicates made—one given and one retained.
Savannah, August 3, 1864.
| Mr. James Hart bought of D. Bennett 6 bales cotton,
3,930 lbs., at $1 10 per lb |
$4,323 |
Received payment,
D. BENNETT.
State of Georgia, Chatham
county, city of Savannah:
Before me, Edward C. Hough, a public notary in and for the county and
State above written, personally appeared John Hart, who, being duly
sworn, deposeth and saith:
That he has had for some time past an intimate acquaintance with the
affairs of James Hart, and believes the property referred to in the
accompanying protest to be the bona fide
property of the said James Hart, and that he knows that said
property was taken from the said James Hart by persons belonging to
the United States army.
JNO. HART.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this day, April 4, 1865.
[L. S.]
EDWARD C. HOUGH, Notary Public, Chatham
County, Savannah,
