Letter from Captain S. D. Cooper to Lieutenant Colonel R. S. Donaldson; September 5, 1865
Title
Letter from Captain S. D. Cooper to Lieutenant Colonel R. S. Donaldson; September 5, 1865
Subject
Mississippi. Governor; Sharkey, William Lewis, 1798-1873; Slavery.; United States. Army.; United States. Colored Troops
Description
From the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Governor Sharkey Collection. Letter from Captain S. D. Cooper, an officer in the 50th United States Colored Infantry, to Lieutenant Colonel R. S. Donaldson concerning a dispute over ownership of a mule between Mr. Cline and a formerly enslaved person.
Creator
Cooper, S. D.
Publisher
Mississippi Department of Archives and History. (electronic version); Mississippi Digital Library. (electronic version)
Date
1865-09-05
Contributor
Funding for this project provided by The Dale Center for Study of War and Society-USM, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Digital Library, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the Watson-Brown Foundation
Rights
NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES; http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Language
English
Identifier
mdah_776-960-01-22
Coverage
1865
Text
Page 1:
Hd Qrs 50, U.S, Col'd, Inft
Jackson Miss sept 5th 1865
Lt Col R. S. Donaldson
A. A. Commissioner of Bureau of abandoned Lands Refugees, & Freedmen
Sir:
I regret to report that the papers, containing the testimony in The case of the mule in dispute between Mr Cline of Rankin Co. and a negro man, have while moving from Brandon to this place, been lost or mislaid. and although I have made dilligent search I have failed to find them
I will give you however an outline of the testimony on which my decision was based.
The mule in dispute was blind in left eye had a scar where the girt pressed, several white spots—the general color being Brown or black—and had a brand upon it.
Mr Cline under oath described a mule he had lost about the 12th or 14th of March which description answered to the mule in dispute except that his was not branded.
One witness on the part of Mr Cline, Testified
Page 2:
that the mule lost by him, was brown, was blind in the left eye, and had a scar when the girt pressed. He did not know of any white spots upon it; there was no brand.
Five other witnesses knew the mule that was lost, described it as brown and and blind in the lef eye: did not remember any other marks; was not at all certain that the mule in question was the one lost
On the part of the Defence Mr Proctor testified that the mule in dispute had been brought to his farm by the negro man about the 1st of May, and that it then had the brand of the fig, 8 upon ^it^ which brand had an old apperance, was entirely healed and had no apperance of having been recently done,
He said that the colored man, within two or three day from that time attempted to obliterate the brand, by burning with a hot iron: the scar produced by the latter buring was not entirely healed although more than two months had elapsed 2d witness (colored man) testified that he had been the slave of Mr Cline and was aquainted
Page 3:
with the appearance of the mule that was lost by Mr Cline, that it was blind in the left eye but that the eye ball was entire, the substance not being wasted or absorbed, while with the mule in question the eye was nearly half gone.
The mule that was lost had rec'd an injury of the left fore foot which caused the old hoof to come off the new hoof yet carried evidence of the injury, having a longitudinal scar or ridge extending from the upper to lower part of the hoof. This ridge was quite prrominent at the time the mule was lost or stolen and the foot was tender, causing the mule to limp when it [tread?] upon hard substances, The scar was visible on the mule in question & then was no limping.
The testimony of other witnesses was unimportant as regarded the identity of the mule except that one testified to the fullness of the eye
The above is substantially the evidence adduced, in regard to the case. and on which I decided in favor of the claim of the colored man
I remain with respect, obediently yours
S D Cooper Capt 50th U.S.C.I
Comdg Detachment
Page 4:
Hd. Qrd. 50th U.S.C.I.
Jackson Miss. Sept. 5. 1865
Cooper S. D. Capt.
Report of
Evidence in Case of a Mule in dispute betwen Mr. Cline of Rankin Co. and a Negro man
Office Act. Asst. Comr.
Freedmens Bureau
Jackson Miss. Sept 6/65
Respectfully forwarded R, S. Donaldson Lt. Col.
Actg. Asst. Commissioner
Hd Qrs North Dist Miss
Jackson Miss Sept 7th 65
Respectfully returned to Hon W. S. Sharkey Pro Govr Mississippi
P Jos Osterhaus
Maj Gen Vols
by N. A. Gordon
Maj. AAG Vols
Hd Qrs 50, U.S, Col'd, Inft
Jackson Miss sept 5th 1865
Lt Col R. S. Donaldson
A. A. Commissioner of Bureau of abandoned Lands Refugees, & Freedmen
Sir:
I regret to report that the papers, containing the testimony in The case of the mule in dispute between Mr Cline of Rankin Co. and a negro man, have while moving from Brandon to this place, been lost or mislaid. and although I have made dilligent search I have failed to find them
I will give you however an outline of the testimony on which my decision was based.
The mule in dispute was blind in left eye had a scar where the girt pressed, several white spots—the general color being Brown or black—and had a brand upon it.
Mr Cline under oath described a mule he had lost about the 12th or 14th of March which description answered to the mule in dispute except that his was not branded.
One witness on the part of Mr Cline, Testified
Page 2:
that the mule lost by him, was brown, was blind in the left eye, and had a scar when the girt pressed. He did not know of any white spots upon it; there was no brand.
Five other witnesses knew the mule that was lost, described it as brown and and blind in the lef eye: did not remember any other marks; was not at all certain that the mule in question was the one lost
On the part of the Defence Mr Proctor testified that the mule in dispute had been brought to his farm by the negro man about the 1st of May, and that it then had the brand of the fig, 8 upon ^it^ which brand had an old apperance, was entirely healed and had no apperance of having been recently done,
He said that the colored man, within two or three day from that time attempted to obliterate the brand, by burning with a hot iron: the scar produced by the latter buring was not entirely healed although more than two months had elapsed 2d witness (colored man) testified that he had been the slave of Mr Cline and was aquainted
Page 3:
with the appearance of the mule that was lost by Mr Cline, that it was blind in the left eye but that the eye ball was entire, the substance not being wasted or absorbed, while with the mule in question the eye was nearly half gone.
The mule that was lost had rec'd an injury of the left fore foot which caused the old hoof to come off the new hoof yet carried evidence of the injury, having a longitudinal scar or ridge extending from the upper to lower part of the hoof. This ridge was quite prrominent at the time the mule was lost or stolen and the foot was tender, causing the mule to limp when it [tread?] upon hard substances, The scar was visible on the mule in question & then was no limping.
The testimony of other witnesses was unimportant as regarded the identity of the mule except that one testified to the fullness of the eye
The above is substantially the evidence adduced, in regard to the case. and on which I decided in favor of the claim of the colored man
I remain with respect, obediently yours
S D Cooper Capt 50th U.S.C.I
Comdg Detachment
Page 4:
Hd. Qrd. 50th U.S.C.I.
Jackson Miss. Sept. 5. 1865
Cooper S. D. Capt.
Report of
Evidence in Case of a Mule in dispute betwen Mr. Cline of Rankin Co. and a Negro man
Office Act. Asst. Comr.
Freedmens Bureau
Jackson Miss. Sept 6/65
Respectfully forwarded R, S. Donaldson Lt. Col.
Actg. Asst. Commissioner
Hd Qrs North Dist Miss
Jackson Miss Sept 7th 65
Respectfully returned to Hon W. S. Sharkey Pro Govr Mississippi
P Jos Osterhaus
Maj Gen Vols
by N. A. Gordon
Maj. AAG Vols