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seen and or delivered, and it is not intended that it shall be delivered. 
Some time after this sale was made I received a communication from Maj Gen Howard covering an application on the part of the Selma Iron Works Co asking the return to them of certain property which had been seized by the Agents of the Treasury and referring the matter to me for my action. In this application they claimed to be the owners of certain real estate on which their foundry and machine shops were situated and also of the rolling mill adjoining the Naval Foundry. I have become satisfied that the real estate and the machine shops foundry with the machinery thereon was really the property of the Selma Iron Works and have directed that their use and enjoyment of the same should not be interfered with by my agents. But as regards the Rolling Mill and its machinery the facts are somewhat different.
The rolling mill is built on land which belonged to the Confederate Gov't of this fact their is no dispute. It immediately adjoins the Naval Foundry and I am informed was seen almost exclusively for the benefit of the Confederate States and in connection with their Naval Foundry

The Selma Iron Works Co claim that they bought the building and machinery of this Rolling Mill from the Confederate Gov't and that they have fully paid for the same of this fact I am by no means satisfied. It has been reported that Capt C. Innis who was in charge of the Confederate Naval Foundry repeatedly threatened to torch the Rolling Mill away from the Selma



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Iron Works Co and run it as a public work. This if true would show that the Confederate States still claimed the ownership of the property. The Agents of the Selma Iron Works Co have been repeatedly requested to show their papers & books, with the understanding that if on a full & complete showing of the facts, it appeared that they were really the owners of the property, and that the Confederate States had parted with the title, then the clam of the United States would be withdrawn. They however have persistently refused to do so, and in this state of facts I have not believed it my duty to order the property in the Rolling Mill restored to them.
I have desired in all cases to restore private property to its owners whenever they had been pardoned or restored to their civil rights by operation of the Presidents proclamation. But in this case it seemed to me that their were sufficient grounds for the belief that this was not private property but belonged to the late rebel Gov't. I have therefore retained the matter in status quo, not delivering the property to the purchaser under the sale of Dec'r 15th 1865, and not on the other land restoring it to the claimants.
Perhaps it would be advisable to have proceedings in the U.S. Courts instituted against it as property captured from the rebel Gov't (not as confiscated property) and let its disposition be decided by the result of such a suit.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
Very Respectfully
Your Obt Servt,