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0863

said company received, it is believed, full compensation under an arbitrament as authorized by the then existing laws. J. W. Spratt now a contractor on the reconstruction of the A&G.R.R. is said to be a witness of the final payment of money to the President or Agent of the B&F.R.R. Co. for the seized issued Audit is such that a portion at least of the monies received for the time was invested in cotton for the company. These [[strike-through]] circumstances seem to show that the Govt. of the U.S. is now the rightful owner of the rail land in the Florida Branch, as captured property of Confederate States.

These circumstances may not be true but they seem to be sufficiently suggestive that the B.&F.R.R. Co. should not be allowed to remove them now until their rights are clear.

I beg to add that the iron in the Florida Branch is at present useless, as the whole of the iron on the Florida side is already or at least partially removed by its rightful claimants and that should I be placed there to take away the 636 Land I apply for, it could work to immediate harm.

Begging that you will execute the hurried character of these notes,
I remain General
Very Respectfully
Your obt Servant
John Tillson
[[?]] &c