| Confederate States of America |
| Quarter Master Generals Department |
| Richmond Nov 28th 1862 |
| |
| Hon James A Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of a letter from Carlile, Smith & Co. of Mobile, to the Hon.
T. H. Watts, in regard to certain alleged abuses therein
detailed, referred by the President to the Secretary of War, and by
him referred to me with the endorsement "Full explanation
required." |
| No letter from Carlile, Smith & Co. has
ever been received at this office. On the 7th instant however, I
received a communication from a Mr H. G. Humphries referring
probably to the subject of the letter from that firm to Mr Watts. |
| That communication I herein enclose for
your information, from it, it will be perceived, that the statements
referred to no designated officer, or agent of the Government
excepting the late Major Ashe who, the writer charged, was a party
to certain frauds in promoting the transportation of sugar, and
molasses, in the sale of which he was interested. |
| The enquiry, and the only point upon
which the writer seemed to request a reply, was in regard to Major
Ashe's position, and the connection he had with the control of
public transportation. Accordingly, I informed him that "Major W. S.
Ashe, now deceased, was the general superintendent of rail road
transportation appointed by the President." |
| This I deemed sufficient answer to Mr
Humphries' letter because no other person was named in connection
with the allegations presented, than Major Ashe, and because the
writer intimated his purpose to make a further exposition. |
| This office is entirely without any
information upon the subject of these letters, nor had it any source
to which it might refer the statements of Mr Humphries for a report,
after the death of Major Ashe. |
| It is not therefore within my power to
present a fuller statement than this, in answer to the endorsement
of the Secretary of War. |
| It is but justice to the memory of a
deceased public officer to state, in this connection, that the time
referred to by Mr Humphries when the sugar &c were transported was
"last winter and sprint;" and that General Order No 31 dated April
29, 1862, directed that two trains, weekly, for the conveyance of
Flour and breadstuff, from Richmond to Jackson, for the Committee of
Public Safety of New Orleans, should be dispatched; and in return,
shipments of sugar and molasses made by the Committee to Richmond or
any other place on the route, at the expense of the parties making
such shipments. As I have already stated I am not in possession of
any information shewing the character of the particular transaction
referred to, but it is not improbably that Major Ashe may have acted
in pursuance of the General Order just cited. |
| I respectfully return, herewith, the
letter of Carlile, Smith & Co to the Hon T. A. Watts. |
| A. C. Myers |
| Q. M. Genl. |
|