Hume Burnley to W. Hunter, April 18, 1865

Mr. Burnley to Mr. Hunter

Sir: I have the honor to transmit, in original, affidavits relative to property alleged to have been seized at Savannah by the United States officers, and stated to belong to James Hart, who claims British protection.

This property consists of two wagons, a horse, a mule, and six bales of cotton, the whole valued at $3,529.

I would beg you to take these papers into consideration with a view to a settlement of the claim, should his British nationality and neutrality be fully made out.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient, humble servant.

[Enclosure.]

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known, that on the 3d day of April, A. D. 1865, before me, Edward C. Hough,’at, public notary, duly appointed, commissioned, and sworn, for the county and State aforesaid,, personally appeared James Hart, an alien, and a subject of her Britannic Majesty the Queem of Great Britain, residing in the city of Savannah, county and State aforesaid, who, being; duly sworn, declares that on or before the 21st day of December, A. D. 1864, that being the-day on which the city of Savannah was occupied by the military forces of the United States, he, the said James Hart, was the bona fide owner of the following named articles of property, to wit:

And the same James Hart further declares that the various articles of property before named have been unlawfully seized and removed from his possession and control without his consent and against his will, he being, and having been for some time past, the bona fide owner of said property, by officers of the United States army, as follows:

December 27, 1864, one wagon, valued at $75; January 13, 1865, one wagon, valued at $50; January 18, 1865, one horse, valued at $200, taken by officers who stated that they were connected with the 20th United States army corps, and who refused to give their names, as also any receipt and acknowledgment therefor, except for the horse, for which a receipt was given, a true copy of which is herein written; March 6, 1865, one mule, valued at $60, taken by an officer who stated that he belonged to the 19th army corps of the United States, and who refused to give any receipt therefore; and on the 11th day of March, A. D. 1865, six bales of cotton, upland, weighing 3,930 pounds, stored upon the premises of the said James Hart, on Bemen street, Savannah, and of which a copy of the original bill of sale is herein Written, were taken by Lieutenant Colonel H. C. Ransom, of the United States army, as quartermaster in charge of cotton, or by persons acting under orders from or in conjunction with him.

Now, therefore, in view of the principles of international law, the said James Hart does solemnly protest, and I, the said notary public, at the special instance and request of the said James Hart, do solemnly and publicly protest, against the said seizure and removal of said property on the ground that the government of which he is a subject is at peace with the government of the United States of America, and that the said James Hart is not and has not been in any way connected with or compromised in the belligerent operations now and for some time past in progress within the country of the United States of America; that neither his person nor his property is or ought to be impressed with a hostile character, and that he is entitled to the consideration and protection of the laws of the United States of America as a neutral resident, as aforesaid.

This done and protested in the city of Savannah, county of Chatham, State of Georgia, and United States of America, on the day and in the year aforesaid.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the same James Hart to sign these presents, and I, the said Public, have subscribed my name officially, and have affixed my seal of office on the day and year aforesaid.[seal.]