The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-08
Millions Belongt~ 6 to the
GNasfe9

Millions Belonging to the
South.
"The records Of the treasury were full.
Of romances," said treasury olficiall
"Take that bureau called tho division of
abandoned lands and property, for ex-
ample. 1t is in itself one great romance,
| Why9 There is about $13,OOO,OOO in
its keeping belonging to people in the
South alone. You see, during and at
the close Of the civil war valuable prop
J erty Of all sorts fell into the hands of
army officers and was turned into the
treasury. Finally the amount became
SO great that when VIM. l.. Chandler he.
came assistant secretary he created di-
vision to have charge of the entire mat
ter. More than $12,000,O0O charged to
that division is the proceeds of cotton
| taken from plantations and towns all
over the South AMI sold.
| IL know of one case in which $4,000
600 worth of cotton was taken from q
far South plantation, when the staple
WAS worth $500 balc, and sold. The
people to whom it belonged were not
rebels at all but were always loyal to the
| Union. They haven't an idea where
their cotton went to. Their names were
on the bales and it wouldn't be at all
difficult for them to make their case il
they only knew what do. 1t is nearly
,hirty.seven years since the money was
deposited there. don't know whether
any OF the owners are alive or not, and
| If they are it is hardly probable that thcy
will ever get back what is really thei,s.
All the testimony in the case is in the
| possession of the government and 1t never
leh 90 anything it gets its hands on.
The agent who took this cotton is dead
! long ago, as is the man who cold it So
you see the oRners could not prove their
case by either of them.
There are other instances similar to
THE. In 1868 we received from a gov
ernment agent more than ! 100000, which
was the proceeds of cctton taken from a
foreigner supposed to bc blockade run
ner IN one Of the larger cities of the
South. When Secretary Nc Culloch heard
Of this he said
"'Ihls money is only held in trust by
the government. Some day we shall he
obliged to account for it, for the United
States has really no right to keep it,
But from that time until now no demand
has ever been madu on us for it, and
there:it lies. doubt ii tho owner ever
knew just where it did go.
"When General Shcrman's army oc.
cupied the towns Of the South Atlantic
scaboard the Copfedcrates DESTROYED all
the cotton possible b, fore they sucrcn-
dercd. Cotton worth millions cf dollars
was burned to keep it from falling into
our hands. The real owners could pot
oil hat
saved But we know and this was the way
The books we often captured, for in
stance, showed thu James Brown, q mer-
chant, had 30 many bales marked in q
certain way. The bales not burned could
thus be easily Identified from the marks
and names on them. In all cases the
books captured containing the names ot
tho consignors and owners were sent to
, the treasury with the papers relating to
the capture. Where arc these books and
pspersf Well, don't know, but | sup
pose they are somewhere in the treasury
vaults.
"As we never knew when the claim
ants might come forward and max, a
demand on the Treasury for the proceeds
OF their cotton the money it Brought was
never turned into the general fuad, but
always remained in an account by itself.
1t is 30 long since this money was der j.
tied and tho testimony to make a
case Is in so many instances unattnin5lc
! by the owners, that it is scarcely probable
, that any great portion Of this enormous
amount Of money will ever leave the
treasury. The only very large sum from
this fund that WAS ever returned t. its
owners was paid to Gazaway b. Lamar
OF Savannah, Ga, and New York. TX
Attorney General Williams and Gen B..
F. Butler. OF Massachusetts,, were his
counsel. They got back for hin, 5000.
: 600 for cotton taken in the manner
have described. Gen. Butler said to
me when the case was pending:
"'lf l were few years younger and
wanted to make vast fortune quickly
| could do it more easily and certainly
in the prosecution of these claims than
in any other way.
at was always wonder to me that
afte: the action of the government in
the Lamar case more Southern people
D did not attempt to recover their money
| from the treasury. The principle oI
o repayment was then established. The
main difficulty. OF course, would be tc
prove that their particular cotton wa.
. taken, sold and the money turned into
the treasury"