said Commission, and its prosecution to final judgment, hereby ratifying and confirming all that the said attorney in fact may do in the premises by virtue of these pres ents. ་ In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Havre, this 4th day of November, in the year of our Lord 1880. G. A. LE MORE & CO., Be it known that on the 4th day of November, A. D. 1880, before me, M. A. Lybrook, vice-consul of the United States for the port and district of Havre, personally appeared Gustave André Le More, principal of the firm of G. A. Le More & Co., known to me to be the party named in and who executed the foregoing letter of attorney, and acknowledged the same to be his act and deed. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and official seal, at Havre, the day and year above written, and the 105th year of the independence of the United States. M. A. LYBROOK, [SEAL] SIR: You are hereby anthorized to act as a commissioner in the above-entitled case at Havre, France, and as such to there take the testimony of Gustave André Le More. In fulfilling this duty you will be guided by the rules of this Commission, particularly Rules XIV and XV, and you will return the testimony taken herein to the secretaries of this Commission, with this authority attached as the first sheet thereof. A copy of the notice required by Rule XIV, and a copy of Rules XIV and XV, are herewith inclosed. Should the defendant not appear at the examination, you will ascertain from the inclosed copy of notice whether notice has been accepted; if it has, you may proceed with the examination; if it has not, you will adjourn the examination, and re port that fact, with the reason, to this Commission. We are, sir, your obedient servants, WASHINGTON, D. C., April 13, 1881. It is agreed that the American consul at Havre, France, be authorized to take the testimony of witnesses in the above-entitled case at Havre, France, to be used before this Commission. DEAR SIR: Please notify the agent of the American Government that it is proposed to take the testimony of Gustave André Le More, upon the subjoined interrogatory, before the American consul at Havre, France, at such time as may suit his, the Ameri can agent's convenience, relative to the birth, citizenship, claim, non-naturalization, non-alienation of claim, neutrality, &c., of the members of the firm of G. A. Le More & Co. Respectfully, yours, ALBERT C. JANIN. Interrogatory addressed to Gustave André Le More, of Havre, France, in behalf of G. A. Le More & Co.: No. 1. Read carefully the first paragraph, consisting of 23 lines, of the memorial filed with the French and American Claims Commission in the claim of G. A. Le More & Co. v. The United States, which memorial accompanies this interrogatory, and state whether the allegations therein contained are true and correct. PAUL DÉJARDIN, Agent du Gouv't. Cross-examination for the present waived, the counsel for the United States reserving the right to cross-examine hereafter in case he shall deem it necessary so to do. GEO. S. BOUTWELL, Counsel for the United States. WASHINGTON, April 9, 1881. The memorial of G. A. Le More & Co. respectfully represents: That your memorialists are citizens of the Republic of France, and the only members of a commercial firm established in the city of Havre, France, Gustave A. Le More being the active and managing partner, and Léontine Le More the silent partner in said association. The said Gustave A. Le More was born in the city of Havre, France, in the year 1820, and Léontine Le More at the same place, about the year 1-22, and both of them have resided in said city from their infancy until the present time, and have never had any other domicile. Their post-office address is the Poste Restante of said city. At the time of the origin of the claim, which is the subject-matter of this memorial, and at the present time, the said claim was and is the exclusive property of your memorialists, Gustave A. Le More and Léontine Le More; no transfer of their interest in said claim, or of any part thereof, has ever been made by either of them, nor have they ever received any compensation in money or other valuable thing, or any indemnity whatsoever, for the losses which constitute the basis of said claim. Neither of your memorialists ever rendered any aid or comfort to the government of the socalled Confederate States, or ever became naturalized, or took any steps to that end, in the United States, or any other country foreign to them. Département de la Seine-Inférieure. Ville du Havre. Etat-Civil, No. 289. Bulletin de réseignement: Naissance. Nom La More, Prénoms André, Gustave, fils légitime de Louis François, Léonor et de Marie, Madelaine, Françoise, Lange né au Havre, rue des Remparts, le 9 Juin 1820. Département de la Seine-Inférieure. Ville du Havre. État-Civil, No. 354. Bulletin de renseignement. Naissance. Nom, Le More; prénoms, Désirée, Léontine, fille légitime de Louis, François, Léonor et de Marie, Madeleine, Françoise, Lange, née au Havre, rue des Ramparts, le 26 juin 1821. UNITED STATES CONSULATE, Havre, France: Be it known and made manifest to all whom it doth or may concern that on the 7th day of May, 1881, before me, John A. Bridgland, United States consul at Havre, France, personally came and appeared Gustave André Le More, and deposes and says as follows: That he is the active and managing partner of G. A. Le More & Co., of Havre, France; that his sister, Léontine Le More, is strictly a silent partner of said association; that he and his said sister are the only members composing the firm of G. A. Le More & Co., of Havre, France; that he and his said sister are both citizens of the Republic of France; that they were both born in the city of Havre, France; that he, Gustave A. Le More, was born in the said city of Havre in the year 1820, and his said sister, Léontine Le More, was born in said city of Havre in the year 1821, and they have both resided in said city since their infancy to the present time, never having had another domicile. The post-office address is poste restante, No. 175, of said city. Their claim before the French-American Claims Commission, now sitting in Washington, D. C., was originally theirs, and is at the present time the exclusive property of himself and his said sister, composing the firm of G. A. Le More & Co. He and his said sister have made no transfer of his or his said sister's interest in said claim, or any part thereof, by either of them. That neither he or his said sister have ever received any compensation in money or other valuable thing, or any indemnity whatsoever for the losses which constitute the basis of said claim. He or his said sister have neither of them ever rendered any aid or comfort to the Government of the so-called Confederate States, and that he or his said sister have never become naturalized, or have never taken any steps to that end, in the United States, or in any country foreign to themselves. Sworn to before me this 7th day of May, 1881. [SEAL.] CONSULAT DES ÉTATS-UNIS, au Havre, France: G. A. LE MORE & CO. J. A. BRIDGLAND, United States Consul, Havre, France. Que l'on sache et qu'il soit manifesté à tous ceux qui sont ou pourraient être intéressés que le 7 jour de mai 1881, devant moi, John A. Bridgland, consul des ÉtatsUnis au Havre, France, est venu, et a comparu, personnellement, Gustave André Le More, et affirme et dépose comme suit: Qu'il est associé-directeur de la maison G. A. Le More & Co., du Havre, France; que sa sœur Léontine Le More est l'associée tacite de la dite maison; que lui et sa sus-nommée sœur sont les seuls membres dont se compose la maison G. A. Le More & Co., du Havre, France; que lui et sa sus-nomméo sœur sont tous deux citoyens de la République Française; que lui, Gustave André Le More, naquit en la cité du Havre en l'année 1820, et que sa sœur sus-nommée, Léontine Le More, naquit en la cité du Havre en l'année 1821, et que tous deux ont résidé en la dite cité du Havre depuis leur première enfance jusqu'à ce jour, et qu'ils n'ont jamais eu d'autre domicile; leur adresse postale est Poste-Restante, boite No. 175, en la dite cité du Havre; leur réclamation devant la "Commission Franco-Américaine," siégeant actuellement à Washington, D. C., était la leur dès l'origine, et est encore aujourd'hui leur propriété exclusive; lui et sa sœur sus-nommée n'ont fait aucun transfert de leur intérêt en la dite réclamation, soit entier, soit partiel, et fait ni par l'un ni par l'autre; que ni lui ni sa sœur n'ont jamaisreçu aucune rémunération pécuniaire, ou autre valeur, ou indemnité quelconque pour les pertes qui constituent la base de la dite réclamation; que ni lui ni sa sœur n'ont jamais prêté aide ou appui au gouvernement des "Etats Confédérés," ainsi dénommés, et que ni l'un ni l'autre ne se sont jamais fait naturaliser aux États-Unis, ni dans aucun autre pays étranger, et ils n'ont jamais fait aucune tentative dans ce but. Affirmé, devant moi, le 7 mai 1881. [SCEAU.] G. A. LE MORE & CO. J. A. BRIDGLAND, Letter of Mr. Paul Dejardin, agent of the French Government, transmitting thirty one documents from the files of the French legation. GENTLEMEN: Please file with the other papers and proofs in the above-entitled claim the accompanying thirty-one documents, which are taken from the files of the French legation, and of which I subjoin a descriptive list. PAUL DEJARDIN, DESCRIPTIVE LIST. Agent du Gouv't. 1. Letter of E. N. Montardier to the French consul. New Orleans, April 4, 1864. 2. Letter of Jules Le More to the French consul, New Orleans, May 3, 1864, inclosing (a) sworn declaration of Rauset and Pargoud; (b) certificate of J. T. Simmons. 3. Letter of Jules Le More to the French consul. New Orleans, Mry 26, 1864. 4. Letter of E. N. Montardier to the French consul, New Orleans, May 30, 1864, inclosing two letters of G. A. Le More & Co. 5. Letter of Mr. L. de Geofroy to the acting French consul at New Orleans. Washington, June 17, 1864. 6. Letter of G. A. Le More & Co. to Minister of Foreign Affairs. Havre, July 9, 1864. 7. Letter of Reynes Brothers & Co. to Mr. L. de Geofroy. New York, July 11, 1864. 8. Letter of Mr. L. de Geofroy to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Washington, July 14, 1864, inclosing copies of two letters. 9. Letter of G. A. Le More & Co. to Reynes Brothers & Co. 10. Letter of Mr. L. de Geofroy to Minister of Foreign Affairs. 1864. Havre, August 2, 1864. 11. Letter of Hon. Wm. H. Seward to Mr. L. de Geofroy. Washington, August 5, 1864. 12. Letter of Mr. Fauconnet to Mr. L. de Geofroy. New Orleans, August 13, 1864. 13. Letter of Reynes Brothers & Co. to Mr. L. de Geofroy. New York, August 19, 1864. 14. Letter of Hon. Wm. H. Seward to Mr. L. de Geofroy. 1864. 15. Letter of Mr. L. de Geofroy to Reynes Brothers & Co. 1864. Washington, August 19, Washington, August 24, 16. Letter of Mr. L. de Geofroy to Minister of Foreign Affairs. Washington, August 26, 1864. 17. Letter of Jules Le More to Mr. L. de Geofroy. New York, August 30, 1864. 18. Letter of Jules Le More to Mr. L. de Geofroy. Springfield, September 5, 1864. 19. Letter of Springer and Logan to Jules Le More. Springfield, September 7, 1864. 20. Letter of Hon. Wm. H. Seward to Mr. L. de Geofroy. Washington, September 17, 1864. 21. Letter of Hon. Wm. H. Seward to Mr. L. de Geofroy. 1864. 22. Letter of Hon. Wm. H. Seward to Mr. L. de Geofroy. 1864. Washington, September 29, Washington, September 29, 23. Letter of Jules Le More to Mr. L. de Geofroy. New York, September 30, 1864, with two inclosures (one letter and one certificate). 24. Letter of G. A. Le More & Co. to Mr. L. de Geofroy. New York, November 1, 1864. 25. Letter of A. Le More to the Marquis de Montholon. New York, January 27, 1-66, 26. Letter of Albert C. Janin to the French Chargé d'Affaires. Washington, May 20, 1869. 27. Letter of A. Le More to Mr. J. Berthémy. New Orleans, November 3, 1870. 30. Letter of G. A. Le More to the Marquis de Noailles. Havre, December 4, 1873. G. A. LE MORE & Co. v. THE UNITED STATES. No. 211. NOUVELLE-ORLÉANS, le 4 avril 1864. A Monsieur le Consul de France, à la Nouvelle-Orléans : MONSIEUR LE CONSUL: J'ai eu l'honneur de vous écrire le 9 mars dernier, sur la demande de M. Jules Le More, pour vous donner connaissance de quelques achats de coton qu'il a faits. Anjourd'hui je reçois une lettre de M. Jules Le More, datée de Monroe, Louisiane, le 28 mars 1864, me donnant des renseignements plus précis sur ces achats. Il résulte de sa lettre, qu'il a, en ce moment, sur la rivière Ouachita: 323 balles de coton sur l'habitation Lazare "Ouest Wachita." 660 balles de coton sur l'habitation Simmons "East Wachita." 983 206 balles de coton sur l'habitation Simmons. Ense 1,189 balles de coton, pour lesquelles il vient d'adresser à M. Aristide Miltenberger une lettre le priant d'obtenir des autorités militaires fédérales ici un permis pour les apporter à la Nouvelle-Orléans. Agréez, Monsieur le Consul, l'assurance de mes sentiments bien respectueux. Monsieur le Consul de France, Nouvelle-Orléans : Monsieur le CONSUL: Me trouvant à Shreveport le trois de février dernier, j'achetai le 1er mars, pour compte de la maison G. A. Le More & Co. du Havre, onze cent cinquante-trois balles de cotton, comme suit: Sur l'habitation A. Lazarre située sur le côté ouest de la rivière Ouachita à un mille de la ville de Monroe... 323 bl. Et sur l'habitation Simmons qui se trouve sur le côté est de la rivière Ouachita à vingt-trois milles de la ville de Monroe 830 bl. Ensemble de coton 1. 153 bl. H. Ex. 235——20 Aussitôt l'acquisition de ces cotons et le paiement effectué en mes traites sur l'Europe, j'envoyai un exprès à la Nouvelle-Orléans, avec mes instructions écrites pour mon agent, M. E. N. Montardier, pour que toutes les formalités exigées par le Gouverne ment de Washington soient remplies pour descendre ces cotons à la Nouvelle-Orléans. Ces lettres furent lues par les officiers fédéraux au passage des lignes fédérales, mon envoyé, sur ma recommendation, les ayant communiquées à première demande. Pendant l'absence de ce messager, une flotille fédérale, commandée par le Capitaine Foster, entra dans la rivière du Ouachita et s'empara le 8 avril 1864 des 830 balles de coton se trouvant sur l'habitation Simmons, et le 10 avril des 323 balles deposées sur l'habitation A. Lazarre. Je me rendis auprès du commandant Foster le 11 avril (m'étant presenté le 10 à son bord sans l'y rencontrer), et lui demandai un reçu des dits cotons, ce à quoi il se refusa, me déclarant que ses ordres étaient de prendre tous les cotons qu'il trouverait sans distinction de nationalité. Il me dit qu'il savait que j'avais fourni des draps à la confédération, ce que j'avouai, lui faisant remarquer toutefois que la transaction à laquelle il faisait allusion avait eu lieu en 1861 et avait été faite par la maison Ed. Gautherin & Co., dont j'étai alors un des associés, et que cette affaire n'avait aucun rapport avec les cotons appartenant en ce moment à la maison française G. A. Le More & Co.; que d'ailleurs cette affaire avait été décidée depuis longtemps à Washington; qu'en outre, dans cette transaction de coton je n'étais que l'agent de la maison G. A. Le More & Co. qui est restée complètement étrangère à cette affaire de drap. Malgré cela, le commandant Foster fit rédiger par son secrétaire un document par lequel trois de ses officiers déclaraient, sous serment, que les cotons réclamés sur l'habitation A. Lazarre semblaient avoir été donnés en échange de la fourniture des draps à laquelle il avait fait allusion. Dans ma démarche auprès du commandant Foster, il ne fut nullement question des 830 balles de coton qui se trouvaient sur l'habitation Simmons, par la raison que j'ignorais encore la saisie de cette propriété de la maison G. A. Le More & Co. En conséquence, j'ai l'honneur, Monsieur le Consul, de vous prier de réclamer du Commodore Porter, ou du Gouvernement Fédéralé, ces 1, 153 balles de coton comme étant la propriété légitime de la maison française G. A. Le More & Co. qui n'a jamais en aucune manière violé les lois américaines, ni donné le moindre prétexte à la saisie de ces propriétés par les États-Unis. Veuillez agréer, Monsieur le Consul, l'assurance de ma considération la plus distinguée. JULES LE MORE. P. S.-Inclus 3 documents à l'appui de mes assertions ci-dessus. STATE OF LOUISIANA, Parish of Ouachita : J. L. M. Be it remembered that on this day, the 13th of April, 1864, appeared before me the undersigned, residents of the parish of Ouachita, who declared that they are Frenchmen and citizens of France, and that they appeared before me for the purpose of per petuating the evidence hereinafter stated, at the request of Jules Le More, acting in behalf of G. A. Le More & Co., of Havre, France. They declared that there is no resident consul at Monroe, or this side of the city of New Orleans; they declared further that on the 9th instant a fleet of gunboats and transports, under the command of Captain Foster, of the United States Navy, came to Monroe, La.; that on the 10th instant a lot of 323 bales of cotton were taken from the river bank, at the plantation of A. Lazarre, in the parish of Onachita. The cotton was marked "L. M.," partly in red ink and partly in black ink. They declared further that they knew that said cotton had been placed on the river bank by parties paid by Jules Le More, and that the cotton was in his possession and under his control. The cotton had been placed on the river for shipment by him to New Orleans. They know that said cotton belonged to G. A. Le More & Co. They further declared that the parties taking said cotton marked some of it "U. S. N." and also "C. S. A." These initials are in ink different from that put upon the bales by Le More & Co., "L. M." They further declared that it is to their knowledge that Jules Le More demanded of Captain Foster, commanding the fleet, a receipt or an acknowledgment, showing the fact of his taking said cotton, which Captain Foster refused to give. They further declared that before the men from said fleet took possession of said cotton none of it was marked “C. S. A.” They further declared that they have been credibly informed that said fleet of boats took from the plantation of Dr. John Simmons 830 bales of cotton, marked "Simmon, Tatum & Simmons," and a part of which were also marked "L. M. ;" the marking had not been completed. About 75 or 80 bales had been marked "J. L." The cotton had just been placed on the river bank by Jules Le More for shipment to New Orleans. They declared that they know that said G. A. Le More & Co. had purchased said 830 bales of cotton, and that said cotton was in their possession and under their control when it was taken by the men from said fleet and placed aboard of the trans |