Morgan letter

[Foosfoos]

This John Hunt Morgan letter is attached in CSA scrapbook. It is difficult for me to read. Does anyone understand the letter or what it pertains too? thanx

 

[AndyHall]

Hd Qrs Morgan's Comd
Saltville, May 3rd, 1864​

Rec'd, Saltville, Va., May 3rd, 1864, of Col. [R?] A. Alston, Two Thousand Dollars in full, value rec'd, his note which is [either?] cost laid.

Jno. H. Morgan
Brig Genl​

_____________

Presented to [unintelligible]
by Col. R. A. Alston (of Ga
​

________
R. A. Alston was Morgan's Assistant Adjutant General, and later his Chief of Staff. Looks to be an ordinary receipt, preserved as a souvenir by Colonel Alston. Alston was later murdered, in 1879.

It's a great collectible.​

 

[James B White]

I was reading the ending as "either lost [or mis-] laid." With value rec'd scratched out, did it mean that Alston lost the money and gave his note for it? Or did Morgan lose the note and Alston insisted on a receipt to show it wasn't Alston's fault it was lost?

Would love to know what's over on the right to see if it fits "mislaid" or whether I'm misreading the context and it's "cost laid" as Andy says.

 

[James B White]

Hah!

From an 1872 article at https://books.google.com/books?id=85dQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA8

" Colonel Alston then gave the history of one of Mr. Herbst's autographs himself. During the war, on one occasion, he {Colonel Alston) was in want of two thousand dollars, which he borrowed from the famous partisan leader,General John H. Morgan, giving his note for the amount. The money was repaid and a receipt taken, but the note, being elsewhere, was not destroyed. After the war, Mr. Herbst being anxious to obtain the signature of General Morgan, ColonelAlston gave him the receipt for the two thousand dollars. The wife of General Morgan, in looking over the papers of her murdered husband, found Colonel Alston's note. She, of course, wrote to ask its payment by Colonel Alston. This gentleman was in consternation, as he supposed that he had lost the receipt. At last he recollected that he had given it to Mr. Herbst. On inquiry he found that it had been kept by that gentleman among his most cherished relics. Thus a pursuit ordinarily considered merely curious saved the double payment of a considerable sum of money by an innocent party."

 

[Foosfoos]

I was reading the ending as "either lost [or mis-] laid." With value rec'd scratched out, did it mean that Alston lost the money and gave his note for it? Or did Morgan lose the note and Alston insisted on a receipt to show it wasn't Alston's fault it was lost?

Would love to know what's over on the right to see if it fits "mislaid" or whether I'm misreading the context and it's "cost laid" as Andy says.

Hah!

From an 1872 article at https://books.google.com/books?id=85dQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA8

" Colonel Alston then gave the history of one of Mr. Herbst's autographs himself. During the war, on one occasion, he {Colonel Alston) was in want of two thousand dollars, which he borrowed from the famous partisan leader,General John H. Morgan, giving his note for the amount. The money was repaid and a receipt taken, but the note, being elsewhere, was not destroyed. After the war, Mr. Herbst being anxious to obtain the signature of General Morgan, ColonelAlston gave him the receipt for the two thousand dollars. The wife of General Morgan, in looking over the papers of her murdered husband, found Colonel Alston's note. She, of course, wrote to ask its payment by Colonel Alston. This gentleman was in consternation, as he supposed that he had lost the receipt. At last he recollected that he had given it to Mr. Herbst. On inquiry he found that it had been kept by that gentleman among his most cherished relics. Thus a pursuit ordinarily considered merely curious saved the double payment of a considerable sum of money by an innocent party."

amazing!!! I will post the rest of the right side of note in a min. it was actually folded over.

 

[AndyHall]

Would love to know what's over on the right to see if it fits "mislaid" or whether I'm misreading the context and it's "cost laid" as Andy says.

I think you're right, James. Makes more sense that way.

 

[Foosfoos]

 

[AndyHall]

Exactly so, James, good call.

 

[Foosfoos]

This another article which states, there was once a picture of Morgan on the cover .

 

[donna]

A great collectible.