The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-05-05
Millions Of Southern Money.

.,cuaaa maen1S"pN' ~ tSo' e.. - ", Agn a.
novelist that can be imagined is that of
the United States treasury" said gen.
tleman who had been in that department
for a quarter of century. "Where is
it?" "Why, everywhere. There is
bureau called the division Of abandoned
lands and property, and that in itself is
one great romance. It's history ia full of
marvellous facts. Why, there are $13, ,000,-
600 in its charge belonging to people in \
the Sonth alone.
{. "You see, during and at the close of
the war there was valuable property of
all sorts which fell into the hands of the
army and was turned into the treasury.
Over 81, ,090, 600 charged to that bureau is
the proceeds Of cotton taken from planta-
tions all over the South and sold. The
money 1t brought in was turned in as I
have told, the amount being 30 great that
Mr.. Chase, then secretary, created
division that should have special charge
of all this sort of thing.
Z, "Why, there is one instance It is said
Sl74,000 worth of cotton was taken from
far South estate when cotton was worth
about $500 bale and sold. The persons
to whom it belonged were not rebels but
loyalists. They have no idea where their
cotton went. Their names were on the
bales and it would not be difficult for
them to make case if they knew what
to do. But it has been nearly twenty
eight years since the money was deposit
ted. do not know whether any Of them
are now living or not, but 1t is hardly
probable they will ever get what is
really theirs. All the testimony relating
to the case is in the possession Of the gov
ernment. The agent who took the cotton
and the one who sold it are both dead
and the owners will not be able to make
their case without some proof which they
do not possess.
"There are other instances similar to
this. In 1858 we received $l09 600 from
9 foreigner, supposed to have been a
towns Of the far South. Secretary Chase,
The money Is only held in trust by the
government and some day we shall be
obliged to account for 1t, for the govern
ment has no right to keep it. But de-
mand was never made for it. 1t is be-
lieved that the owners never knew just
where it went. When the Union army
under General Sherman occupied the
south Atlantic seaboard towns the Con-
federates used to destroy all the cotton,
if possible, before they surrendered, and
millions of dollars were burned to keep
1t from falling into our hands. Twenty
five thousand bales were destroyed In
Savannah, Ga, alone to keep General
Sherman from getting it. The owners
did not know what was burned and what
was saved. The way we knew it was
this: The books were often kept with
the cotton, showing that John Jones, for
instance, whe was merchant, had 80
many hundred bales marked in such q
way. The bales not burned could easily
be identified by the marks on them. In
many instances all the books containing
the owners names were forwarded with
the other papers relating to the capture
Where they are don't know.
"Not knowing when the claimants
might make demand on the treasury
the money received for it was never used,
but remains untouched in fund by
itself. It was 30 long ago and the money
needed, case that would be valid in many
instances unattainable by the owners, j.
Is not probable that any great proportion
of that money will ever leave the treasu-
"The only large sum ever paid back
was in the case Of Gazeaway 3. Lamar,
of Georgia, which you must. have heard.
Ex-Attorney General Williams and Gen.
B. F. Butler got back for him $500, 900
for cotton taken in the manner / have
described"