Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-27
me ten thousand dollars for my interest


claim on Col. Butler2 A. don't know;
was to have one-third Of the net pro-
ceeds. We paid for the cotton, | think,
ten cents q pound, and got foriy-fye
cents. TWAS worth about two hundred
dollars a bale. That would be about
thiriy-six thousand dollars. The salt was
bringing about thirty dollars a sack.
O. How much per centage did yen
make upon the goods2 A. More than
two hundred per cent, and seyenty-hye
per cent. upon the cotton.
This witness, Smith, says that he was
rebel at the time, and did not take the
oath until after these transactions.
W. w. Watson testified on the first day
Of March, 1865, that he knew person
named A. +. Smith (this undoubtedly re-
fers to B. f. Smith, the witness last ex-
amined, as will appear by n careful ex-
animation Of the deposition). Mr.. Wat
son says that Smith did great deal Of
business during Gen. Buffers admins
tration that he would slightly doubt his
statements because be was party in the
Bayou Ia Fourche Land Company bill,
which the witness regarded as a swindle.
The witness testified as follows:
O. Is there anything in that to hinder
his credibility as witness, except that
he was conrected with the straw COM
pany2 A. No. sir, l don't think there
was.
O. Do you know anything about this
business that he carried on across the
lakes in Gen. Buffers timer A. At the
time | saw him the business was not car
ried on very we'll, and he told Gen. But
ler that he would retire.
@. What knowledge had you that he
was going into contraband and i'm
proper business2 A. had no direct
knowledge, bat was Of the opinion that
he filled out the Generals passes in a
written form.
@. Do you mean that he signed the
Generals name, or that the General fur
nished him with blank passes?
A. / saw his book on the table, and
saw his passes that were not signed by
the General.
Q. And you are certain that General
Butler filled up these passes? |?
A. Yes, sir; he cleared three vessels
from here to Matamoros, among which
was the Mary Davis. When Admiral
Farragut was informed of it he sent a
gunboat and took the supercargo, Reed,
General Buffers brother-in.law. Farra-
gut took his pass and went up to the
Generals with it and asked him if it was
his handwriting; to which the General
replied That is A. j. s handwriting"
A. j. Butler was then arrested and
paroled, and afterwards taken up by
picket and brought back here, and, hav-
ing given security in $4,000 bonds,
finally ran away.
The witness was not present at the in.
terview between Admiral Farragut and
General Butler, and based his statements
on hearsay. The witness says that the
permits which Colonel Butler made out
contained great variety of articles, and
ingtanced one to a man named Long, to
take vessel of about eighty tons to
Mobile, loaded with provisions, etc. He
was to bring back the money belonging
to the Merchants Bank. Colonel Butler
and Mr.. French made out the list of
medicines and assisted in getting the
medicines to send by this vessel
The witness was asked: Have you
any reason to suppose that General But.
Ter was interested in these operationsp
A. Yes, sir; have reason to suppose so,
but don't know the fact.
State any fact A. They had no
money until they got three hundred and
twenty thousand dollars out of the city
treasury; l saw the first thousand dollars
counted out on the table in Buffers
(Coloneps) Office.
@. Who was present when that money
was counted ? A. No one except Messrs.
Wyer, Dunnell and myself; Mr.. Dues,
Gen. Butler and Gen. Shepley signed
the order; it was presented to Mr. c.,
and he would not give up the money,
whsreupon Mr.. Flanders was appointed
and the money was got
Q. We're any receipts given for this
money? A. l don't know.
@. Was no order given to deliver this
money over to A. ]. Butler2 A. Yes,
sir and you will find it in the Control
ler' office, / think.
Q. Who signed it2 A. Dues, General
Butler and General Shepley.
@. And it nsssed into A. j. Buffers
hands? A. Yes, sir; l did not see the
money used, but / was asked to pass
twenty thousand dollars TO planter on
the coast, and l told A. j. Butler that |
would not do it.
The witness says that A. j. Butler was
engaged in removing crops from planta-
lions to the city, for which purpose boat
used to be guarded by from twenty-five
10 fifty soldiers, and the boat used to re-
turn to the city with six, seven or eight
hundred hogsheads of sugar. He under
stood, but did not personally know, that
his sugar was seized and went to New
York through the hands of A. j. Butler.
The proceeds of this cargo passed into
The hands of A. j. Butler d Co., or their
agents.
The boats employed in the business
were the Iberville, Laurel Hill, Empire |
Parish, and Lieutenant Morris-boatsin in
The employ of the United States Govern
nent The Iberville was chartered by |
Colonel Schaffer and Mr.. Bloomer, who
lid the outside business for Butler, at
$4,000 per month. These boats paid no
'reight to the quartermaster' department
The witness paid the teamsters and wag-
,ners employed in the work. The boats
III passed out of the port Of New Orleans
rec of any charge or tax.
The witness says: II suggested to
General Butler the Government trans
,orts might be ballasted with sugar. He
aid that it would not be proper, for the
,ort was not open, but finally that l
night do so provided it was sand instead
,f sugar"
0 This was the General himself1 A.
Yes, sir; this was before A. j. BGtler
Irrived here. -.
Q. Did you pay to Butler any freight
Ipon this ballast2 A. No; l com
nenced going around TO persons who
wanted to ship sugar to New 1srk and
old that it would be taken for ten dol