C. N. Chilton to J. N. Archer, August 22, 1864

Capt. J. N. ARCHER, Commanding Post, Canton, Miss.:

CAPTAIN: I respectfully submit the following report in case of A. D. Sheldon, a citizen of this place and an employé of the Mississippi Central Railroad:

Upon assuming the duties of enrolling officer at this place in April last I immediately inspected his papers, in order to determine his status, and was informed that he was an employé on the Mississippi Central Railroad, running from this place to Grenada, and that he was not then actually engaged on the railroad, being employed in carrying out a contract made by Colonel Goodman, president of the Mississippi Central Railroad, with the Confederate States of America for the purpose of bringing out goods from the enemy’s lines in exchange for cotton, and exhibited to me a pass from Maj. Gen. S. D. Lee, approved by General Wirt Adams, instructing all guards and pickets to pass him through our lines at all times until further orders, a copy of whichis at this time impracticable to furnish, said A. D. Sheldon being absent.

I wrote to Colonel Goodman, the president of the railroad, in order to satisfy myself more fully as to the truth of the foregoing statements, and in a subsequent conversation had with him they were fully sustained.

Mr. Sheldon was reported through this office, in conformance with the requirements of the law, on the monthly reports of the railroad made to the commandant for Mississippi, and now holds his exemption papers as an employé of aforesaid road.

Respectfully submitted.