Estimate of five hundred thousand dollars required to meet the just claims presented, or to be presented hereafter, for the loss of slaves who have been impressed in the state of Virginia

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Estimate of fiv
Conf Pam #422

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HOUSE OF RErRESENTATrVKS.Febn«iry l,lS64.--I.Hidoa
the table, an4 ordered to be printed.

[Presented by Thk Chair.]

MESSAGK or THK .j'ln'SIDKXr.

HI^flM{)^D, V\., Jan. .]•», i,Hf;4.
To the Senate and House of Krpn^entatives :

I herewith transmit for your consideration a communication from th«
Secretary of War, covering an ef^timute of an additional suru needed
by the Engineer Bureau.

I recommend an appropriation of th(; .amount speeified, for the pur-
pose indicated.

JEFFERSON BAY 18.

communication; of i'hf sfckftahv of war

CONFKDKRATF. STATr> 01 AmLKRA, W'aR OlPART.MENT, ^

BicfiTnondf January 3S, 1804. S
To the President of the Confederate States :

Sir : I hwe the honor to transmit herewith an eatimate prepared by
the acting chief of the Engineer Bureau, of the amount required to
meet the just claims presented, or to be presented hereafter, for the
loss of slaves who have been impressed by the Confederate authorities,
and, while engaged in laboring on the public defences, have died or
contracted diseases which have, after their discharge, resulted ftitally.
It is estimated that the sum of three millions one hundred and eight
thousand dollars will be necessary to pay such claims.
Very respectfullv, vour obedient servant,

JAMES A. SEDDON,
Secretary of War

C, S. A,, Wak Devaktment, Engineer Bureau, )
Richmo7id, Va., January 22, 1864. ^
Hon. James A. Seddon, Secretary of War :

Sir : I have received from Col. W. II. Stevens, chief of construction
D. N. v., an estimate of five hundred thousand dollars (SoOOJHMI) as
required to meet the jusc claims presented, or to be presented hereafter,
for the loss of slaves who have been impressed in the >;: tate of Virginia,
and have esc ped to the e-nefej, or have died whilst engaged in labor
on the Richmond defences, or from diseases contracted while thus em-
ployed. This estimate is based on an average valuation of two thou-
sand d'ollars fctr eacii slave thus t.sca:;ed or dt-ceased. A consideration
of the losses sustained in other portions of this State, especially in
the Peninsula, earlier in the war, gives the sum of seven hundredand
eight thousand dollars ($7'!8.<i(n>) as the entire estimate for the State
of Virginia. Reasoning by analogy, for want of absolute data, and
extending the calculation to the other Stati,s of the Confederacy, in
all of which heavy losses have been sustained among the negroes im-
pres3e<i for labor on the defences, the bureau has arrived at the snm
of three million one hundred and eight thousand dollars {$3,108,000)
as the minimum probably required to meet this class of expenditures.

I have, therefore, the honor to submit an estimate of three million
one hundred and eight thousand dollars, ($3,lt'8,0(i0,) and to ask aa
appropriation of this amouni, for tiie purpose indicated.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. L. RIVES,
Lieut. Co/., aoff ar.f.ing Chief of E/.gineer Burenu.

pcnmalire*

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