J. Hubley Ashton to H. S. Fitch, 24 October 1866

October 24, 1866, To H. L. Fitch, Esq. U. S. Attorney, Savannah, Geo. Sir: My attention has been called by the Secretary of the Treasury to the probable fact of the custody, by the U. S. Marshal for your District, of certain railroad iron claimed to belong to the Brunswick & Albany Railroad Co. of Georgia, which the Secretary directed to be restored to that Co. while in the possession of the Treasury agents as captured or abandoned property. The Secretary of the Treasury having determined that the said Co. is entitled to possession of this property, you will forthwith, on the receipt of this letter, if the same is in your possession, or under your control, surrender & transfer it to the Collector of Customs at Savannah. If the said property is in the possession or under the control of the U. S. Marshal, you will forthwith, on the receipt of this letter, issue instructions to the Marshal, to surrender & transfer the property to the said Collector of Customs. If judicial proceedings have been instituted for forfeiture of the property, & no claim therefor has been filed in court, you will enter a discontinuance of those proceedings & direct the Marshal immediately to surrender & transfer the same to the Collector of Customs at Savannah. That officer has received appropriate instructions in the premises. A copy of this letter will be sent to J.M Gurrard, Esq. the counsel of the B. & A. RR. Co. Very respectfully, &c J. Hubley Ashton, Asst. Att'y. Gen'l.