claimant soon after I sold it; I delivered the cotton to claimant in the town of Opelousas; I believe the cotton was marked, as much as I can recollect, P. L. G. to the best of my recollection.

Second general interrogatory by the parish judge: Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? If you do, state it fully.-A. I do not.

PIERRE L. GUIDRY.

Deposition of ONEZIME L. GUIDRY for claimant, taken at Opelousas, La., on the 29th day of December, 1868.

First general interrogatory by the parish judge: Please state your name, your occupation, your age, your place of residence the past year; whether you have any interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and whether and in what degree you are related to the claimant ?-A. My name is Onezime L. Guidry; my occupation is that of a planter; I am fifty-seven years old; my residence the past year has been in the parish of Saint Landry; I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and I am not related in any degree to the claimant. Being interrogated by HENRY L. GARLAND, counsel for the claimant:

Q. Do you know that claimant had a lot of seven bales of cotton on the plantation of Hypolite A Guidry in May, 1863 ?-A. I knew it from the declaration of Mr. Hypolite A. Guidry.

(Objected to by WILLIAM FESSENDEN, Esq., counsel for the United States.)

I know that said cotton was taken by the soldiers and officers of the United States Army; I was present at Mr. Hte. A. Guidry's when the cotton was taken on; I can't tell if any receipt or money was left for the cotton; I don't know what disposition was made of it; I don't know the name of the officers who took the cotton.

Cross-examination by WM. FESSENDEN, Esq., counsel for the United States:

I do not know if said seven bales of cotton were marked. I cannot tell if there was any other cotton on the plantation of Mr. Hte. A. Guidry at the time. Mr. Hypolite A. Guidry was in the Confederate army at the time said cotton was taken.

Second general question by the parish judge: Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? If you do, state it fully.-A. I do not.

O. L. GUIDRY.

Deposition of widow LOUIS VALIEN for claimant, taken at Opelousas, La., on the 30th day of December, 1868.

First general interrogatory by the parish judge: Please state your name, your occupation, your age, your place of residence the past year; whether you have any interest, direct or indirect in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and whether and in what degree you are related to the claimant ?-A. My name is Widow Louis Valien; my occupation that of a planter; my age is sixty-four years; my residence the past year has been in the parish of Saint Landry; I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and am not related in any degree to the claimant.

Being interrogated by HENRY L. GARLAND, Esq., counsel for the claimant, the witness says: I have sold to claimant in December, 1862, 24 bales of cotton; that lot of cotton remained on my plantation from the time I sold it until it was taken, and I am well satisfied that said cotton was taken the first time the Federal troops came here under General Banks; the cotton was taken by Captain Pope, who came back here after the war and told me that my cotton taken during the war would be paid for.

(Objected to by counsel for the United States, from the words, and told me, &c., to the conclusion of the sentence.)

At the time the cotton was taken my son was then living at my house; no receipt was given to me or offer made to pay for said cotton; I do not know how a receipt was given to my son or an offer made to pay him; the cotton was left at my house by claimant, because Barre's Landing was the nearest shipping port from my house; the cotton was paid for by claimant before it was taken by the Federal troops.

Cross-examination by WILLIAM FESSENDEN, Esq., counsel for the United States: I raised the cotton myself on my plantation. I believe it was in 1861. Said cotton was raised by my own slaves. I traded with claimant for the cotton at his own store; it was sold for 12 cents per pound. I took the whole amount of the cotton in claimant's store. The cotton was weighed when sold; it weighed 10,517 pounds. It was weighed by Mr. Vautrot and Duffy. I live about 5 or 6 miles from the town of Opelousas. The cotton was marked O. L. V. or V. L. V. I don't think I lived more than 5 miles from Barre's Landing; I am not positive. When my son died he was about forty-five years

old. He died during the war. He lived with me on my plantation. My son died while in the Confederate army. My plantation belonged to me at the time of the war. It has been sold since. The plantation I owned during the war use to belong to my father. I inherited it from him at his death. There was other cotton on my place when the twenty-four bales were taken by the Federal troops, but it belonged to Mr. Lemon, and was also taken by the Federal troops. I do not recollect how many bales Mr. Lemon had; I believe about five or six bales. Said cotton was raised by Lemon on my place. I let him have a piece of land to cultivate. When I sold claimant my cotton it was ginned and baled.

Second general interrogatory by the parish judge: Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? If you do, state it fully.-Ans. I do not.

her WIDOW LOUIS + VALIEN. mark.

Deposition of CYPRIEN DAMAS for claimant, taken at Opelousas, La., on the 30th day of December, 1868.

First general interrogatory by the parish judge: Please state your name, your occupation, your place of residence the past year, your age; whether you have any interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and whether and in what degree you are related to the claimant.-A. My name is Cyprien Damas; my occupation is that of field laborer; my residence the past year has been in the parish of Saint Landry; I am thirty years of age; I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and I am not related in any degree to claimant.

Being interrogated by HENRY L. GARLAND, Esq., counsel for the claimant, the witness says:

I was a slave of Widow Louis Valien before emancipation; I lived with her up to 1863, when the Federal troops first came here; I know that there were bales of cotton on Mrs. Valien's plantation at that time; I can't say how many bales; all the cotton that was there has been taken away; I do not know the names of the persons who took the cotton, but I know it was taken by the Federal troops; I was present on the plantation when the cotton was taken; the persons taking the cotton neither give receipt or paid therefor to me or any other person that I know; I do not know where the cotton was taken to.

Cross-examination by WILLIAM FESSENDEN, Esq., counsel for the United States: Mrs. Valien had then about twelve slaves; her son did not have any; at that time Mrs. Valien had no other children but her son; she had lost them; I never left Mrs. Valien's plantation when the Federals came; I remained until the year after; afterwards I lived with Joseph Gonor; I left Mrs. Valien a year after the war was over.

Re-examined by HENRY L. GARLAND, counsel for the claimant:

I remained with Mrs. Valien until the war was over.

Second general interrogatory by the parish judge: Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question; if you do, state it fully?-A. I do not.

his CYPRIEN + DAMAS. mark.

Deposition of JOSEPH G. HIGGINBOTHAM, for the claimant, taken at Opelousas, Louisiana, on the 30th day of December, 1868.

First general interrogatory by the parish judge: Please state your name, your occupation, your age, your place of residence the past year; whether you have any interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and whether and in what degree you are related to the claimant?-A. My name is Joseph G. Higginbotham; my occupation that of a planter; I am thirty-one years old; my residence the past year has been in the parish of Saint Landry; I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and I am not related in any degree to claimant.

Being interrogated by HENRY L. GARLAND, counsel for the claimant, the witness says:

As the agent of Mrs. Percy Breaux, my mother-in-law, I sold to claimant in January, 1862, sixteen bales of cotton; I do not remember if said cotton was marked; I believe it was; and about the same time as agent of my mother, Widow G. Higginbotham, I sold seven bales to said claimant; I think said seven bales were marked with her initials V. G. H.; I don't recollect if said two lots of cotton were delivered at the gin-house or in the town of Opelousas; the lot belonging to my mother I am certain was delivered to Hte. A. Guidry's gin.

Cross-examination by WILLIAM FESSENDEN, Esq., counsel for the United States: Mrs. Breaux raised the 16 bales of cotton herself; she owned a plantation about 11 miles from Opelousas in this parish; at the time of sale Mrs. Breaux was a widow; she had two children at the time; one was about 20 years old and the other 16 years; her husband has been dead about seven or eight years ago; Mrs. Breaux's plantation on which said cotton was raised was located on railroad land; she has no title for it; she raised said cotton with her own slaves; her children had no interest in those slaves; one or two of said slaves were owned by her husband before he died; he left no will at his death; Mrs. Breaux's children might have an interest in said two slaves, but I do not know; Mrs. Breaux had fourteen slaves; said 16 bales were raised in the year 1861; I had no written authority from my mother-in-law to sell said cotton; at the time she had no other cotton; when I made the bargain with claimant the cotton was at Mr. Hte. A. Guidry's gin; the cotton was baled at the time; Mr. Hte. A. Guidry's gin is about 12 miles from the town Opelousas; I made the bargain with claimant at his store in the town of Opelousas; claimant gave ten cents per pound for the cotton; I do not remember if I agreed to deliver the cotton in Opelousas; I don't think I delivered the cotton in Opelousas; I don't think it was delivered at the gin of Mr. Hte. A. Guidry; I do not know if claimant hauled the 16 bales of cotton from the gin; I don't recollect having seen claimant after I sold the cotton; claimant paid some money for the cotton and the balance was paid in goods; the money he paid for the cotton was not Confederate money; I was in the Confederate army; not at that time, but afterwards.

Q. What do you mean by saying that you delivered said sixteen bales of cotton at the gin? A. I mean that I sold the cotton to be delivered there and that through my orders it was delivered to claimant there.

Q. Do you know of your own knowledge that said cotton was delivered to claimant there?-A. I do not; my mother raised the seven bales of cotton above alluded to; she has a plantation which she owns herself; she bought it at the sale of her dead husband; my mother had then ten children; said seven bales were raised in 1861 by her children; the cotton was ginned and baled; at the time it was sold at it was at Ht. A. Guidry's gin; it was marked V. G. H.; claimant paid the same price for said cotton as he did for the lot of sixteen bales; said cotton was paid in money and in advances made previously; I made the bargain with claimant in his store at Opelousas; I was not to bring the cotton in Opelousas; he was to take the cotton at Mr. H. A. Guidry's gin; I saw claimant's wagon going away from the gin with the seven bales of cotton; it was a week or two after the sale; claimant was not there at the time; I did not see him; I was not in this parish when the Federal troops first came here; I was with the Confederate troops in the parish of Rapides;. I had no written authority from my mother to sell her cotton; it was verbal; of the lot of sixteen bales they all went over 400 pounds, except one that weighed less than four hundred; after refreshing my recollection by examination of the books I would state that the sixteen bales weighed 7,254 pounds and the seven bales weighed 2,870 pounds.

Second general interrogatory by the parish judge: Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? If you do, state it fully.-A. I do not. JOSEPH JENISEN HIGGINBOTHOM.

Deposition of Edmond P. GUIDRY for claimant, taken at Opelousas, La., on the 30th day of December, 1868.

First general interrogatory by the parish judge: Please state your name, your occupation, your age, your place of residence the past year; whether you have any interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and whether and in what degree you are related to the claimant.-A. My name is Edmond P. Guidry; my occupation that of planter; I am thirty years of age; my residence the past year has been in the parish of Saint Landry; I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and I am not related in any degree to claimant.

Being interrogated by HENRY L. GARLAND, Esq., counsel for the claimant, the witness says:

I sold to claimant at the beginning of the year 1862 four bales of cotton; I delivered said cotton at the gin of Hte. A. Guidry; said cotton weighed 1,706 pounds.

Cross-examination by WILLIAM FESSENDEN, Esq., counsel for the United States: I raised said cotton myself in the year 1861 on my plantation, situated about twelvemiles from the town of Opelousas. I bargained with claimant for my cotton at his store in Opelousas. Said cotton was ginned and baled when I sold it. Claimant agreed to give me 10 cents per pound; he paid me part in money and part in goods. Question. What delivery did you make of said cotton?

I told claimant that the 4 bales of cotton were at the gin of Hte. A. Guidry, and to

take them. I did not see the cotton hauled away. I was in the Confederate army. I don't know if the bales of cotton were marked.

Second general interrogatory by the parish judge: Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? If you do, state it fully.-A. I do not.

EDMOND F. GUIDRY.

Deposition of PAUL HEBERT for claimant, taken at Opelousas, La., on the 30th day of December, 1868.

First general interrogatory by the parish judge: Please state your name, your occupa tion, your age, your place of residence the past year; whether you have any interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and whether and in what degree you are related to the claimant.—A. My name is Paul Hebert; my occupation is that of a planter; I am thirty-two years old; my residence the past year has been in the parish of Saint Landry. I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and I am not related to the claimant.

Being interrogated by HENRY L. GARLAND, Esq., counsel for the claimant, the witness, says:

In the beginning of the year 1862 I sold to claimant four bales of cotton; I delivered said cotton at Hte. A. Guidry's gin.

Cross-examination by WILLIAM FESSENDEN, Esq., counsel for the United States: I raised said cotton myself on the plantation of Hte. A. Guidry; I worked on shares. I made the bargain with claimant for my cotton at his store in the town of Opelousas. Q. Did you personally deliver the said cotton to claimant at Guidry's gin?—A. I did not; I do not recollect having seen claimant at Hte. A. Guidry's gin; I told him that my cotton was at Hte. A. Guidry's gin and to go and take it. I got ten cents per pound for said cotton. I received part in money and the balance in goods. The money was Confederate money; I was in the Confederate army.

Second general interrogatory by the parish judge: Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? If you do, state it fully.—A. I do not.

his

PAUL + HEBERT. mark.

Deposition of HYPOLITE A. GUIDRY for claimant, taken at Opelousas, La., on the 31st day of December, 1868.

First general interrogatory by the parish judge: Please state your name, your occupation, your age, your place of residence the past year, and whether you have any interest direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and whether and in what degree you are related to the claimant.-A. My name is Hypolite A. Guidry; my occupation is that of a planter; I am thirty-seven years old; my residence the past year has been in the parish of Saint Landry; I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and I am not related in any degree to claimant.

Being interrogated by HENRY L. GARLAND, Esq., counsel for claimant, the witness says:

I have ginned Mrs. P. Breaux's crop of cotton in 1861; I also ginned widow Giles Higginbothom's crop the same year. I also ginned that year for Edmond Guidry; I also ginned for Pierre Louis Guidry that year; also for Paul Hebert that year; also for Mrs. William Fisher, and for Valentine D. Breaux. I went in the Confederate army in May, 1862. Paul Hebert's cotton was at my gin at that time. I can't recollect whether Valentine D. Breaux and Mrs. William Fisher was there. I can't recollect whether I delivered upon the order of claimant the crops of Mrs. P. Breaux and Mrs. Giles Higginbothom. I do not recollect whether I delivered the crops of Edmond Guidry and Pierre Louis Guidry to claimant or order. Paul Hebert had four bales of cotton. I am not sure, but I think Mrs. Fisher had two; Valentine D. Breaux had one. Ireturned home within twelve months after entering the Confederate service; I think I came home six or seven months after my entering service. I can't recollect if Mrs. Fisher, Valentine D. Breaux, and Paul Hebert's cotton was at my gin then. I know that Valentine D. Breaux, Mrs. Fisher, and Paul Hebert sold their crop to claimant.

Cross-examination by WILLIAM FESSENDEN, counsel for the United States:

Q. What do you know of your own knowledge relative to any sales of cotton by Hebert, Breaux, and Mrs. Fisher to claimant?-A. I know it because Breaux, Hebert, and Mrs. Fisher told me that they had sold their cotton to claimant, who told me that he purchased their cotton. Neither of these persons were present when claimant told me he

purchased their cotton, nor claimant present when they told me that they had sold their cotton to him. I do not recollect if either of the cotton I had ginned was marked. I do not recollect when I came the first time home from the army if I came on furlough; at that time I belonged to a company of cavalry which was disbanded. If I came back home when my company was disbanded, and I remained at home three or four months, and if on furlough two or three days.

Second general interrogatory by the parish judge: Do you know of any other matter relative to the claim in question? If you do, state it fully.-A. I do not.

HYPOLITE A. GUIDRY.

Deposition of NARCISSE ZERINGUE for claimant, taken at Opelousas, La., on the 31st day of December, 1868.

First general interrogatory by the parish judge: Please state your name, your occupation, your age, your place of residence the past year; whether you have any interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and whether you are related in any degree to the claimant.-A. My name is Narcisse Zeringue; my occupation that of wagoner; I am fifty-nine years old; my place of residence within the last year has been in the parish of Saint Landry; I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the claim which is the subject of inquiry, and I am not related in any degree to the claimant.

Being interrogated by HENRY L. GARLAND, Esq., counsel for the claimant, the wit

ness says:

I was employed in 1862 by claimant to haul cotton for him; I hauled cotton for him to Mr. Evariste de Caillon's plantation, about one mile and a half from the town of Opelousas; I hauled about 80 bales of cotton, more or less; I am certain of 80 bales; I hauled all the cotton he had at his store at that time; I recollect that some of said cotton had been hauled by me from E'te A. Guidry's gin; about that time I hauled cotton from Charles B. Smith to claimant's store; the cotton I hauled for claimant to his store in Opelousas from H'te A. Guidry and Charles B. Smith was part of the eighty bales I hauled from the claimant's store to V'te de Caillon; I made a shed at Mr. de Caillon's to pod the cotton; I was at Mr. de Caillon's two or three weeks before the Federal troops came here for the purpose of fixing the shed under which the cotton was stored, as the cattle were eating the cotton; all of said cotton was there when I was there the last time; I did not go there after the Federals went away.

Cross-examined by WILLIAM FESSENDEN, Esq., counsel for the United States: Q. How do you recollect it was in 1862 that you hauled said cotton from claimant's store?-A. I do not recollect the time; I just know it was about that time; it was in the spring; I do not recollect at what time in the spring.

Q. How do you recollect the number of bales you hauled from the store?—A. I recollect it by the number of bales I hauled from the two gins to claimant's store, and also by the number of bales which were hauled there by another man.

Q. Who was the other person who hauled cotton to claimant's store?-A. It was Mr. Gautrot; I saw him haul that cotton there; I can't recollect how many bales.

Q. How many bales did you haul from H'te A. Guidry's gin, and how many from Smith's?-A. I can't recollect how many bales exactly; I know I hauled from one gin twenty-five bales, as near as I can recollect; from the other I cannot recollect if it was thirty, more or less; it is so long ago I can't recollect; I hauled cotton from Mr. Guidry's gin in the spring; it was the same spring I hauled the cotton from claimant's store to E. de Caillon; I hauled cotton from Smith's gin at the same time I hauled from Guidry's gin.

Q. Was the cotton that you hauled from Guidry and Smith's gins marked; if so, what were the marks on each lot?-A. I do not recollect if said cotton was marked or not. Q. Was the cotton you hauled from claimant's store marked; if so, how?—A. I don't recollect if said cotton was marked or not.

Q. How did you recognize the cotton you hauled from the store as the same as that you hauled from the gins?—A. I only know that said cotton was piled up in the same house.

Q. Are you sure it was the same cotton, or part of the same?-A. I am certain it was the same cotton.

Q. How are you sure it was the same cotton?-A. I am sure of it because I piled the cotton myself in claimant's store; it was divided in two lots; one lot was outside of the house, covered with planks, and the other lot in the warehouse.

Q. If the cotton hauled there had been taken away by some one else and other cotton put there in its place; would you have known it was the same cotton?-A. I don't expect I would have known it; I can't tell what distance is Charles B. Smith's gin from