| Columbia, Jany 23, 1863
{Year has to be 1864, since Sharp was not related
to the Charlotte & South Carolina RR in January, 1863} |
| |
| Major S. B. French |
| CS |
| Richmond VA |
| |
| Major, |
| I have done every thing here
that can be done. Every car suitable for transporting corn that could be
gotten has been appropriated to the transportation of corn and I have
sent off 33 cars, with one flat of 30 bbls molasses. |
| The great bulk of corn here
must be moved at once, or it will soon become heated & unfit for use.
Capt Sharp is aware of this and he assures me that he will give this
corn precedence over all other freight and he is confident he will be
able to get it all off next week. I deem it unnecessary to remain here
longer & proceed to Kingville in the morning. |
| Three Georgia trains are en
route from Columbus that will go through to Charlotte of which I advise
Major Lowe & urge him to prepare for them. |
| It is utterly impossible to
get at the Commissary Corn exclusively. It is thrown in confusedly with
that belonging to the Quarter Master Dept. into a huge pile from the car
{on the (page torn, words estimated by context)}
S. Ca Road, but I have sent off all that I could reach -- nearly half of
my shipments are marked A. C. S. & consigned to Major Claiborne. |
| I found here in charge of a
special messenger a car load -- 60 bales of Bags from Major Tannahile
consigned to Major Allen that have been laying over on the So Ca Road a
week. I got them off this morning. Eighty bales more arrived last night,
which I am assured will go off on Monday. |
| I have given official
instructions to Capt Witherspoon ACS here to give personal supervision
to this corn business, which he promises to attend to, but I rely more
upon Capt Sharp who is a most prompt & attentive business man. I knew
him at Raleigh & had not Col Wadley broken up his establishment then,
just as he was getting firmly under way in building & repairing cars &
engines, he would at this time to a great extent have met our emergency
& prevented the great delays that have taken place. The loss in
transshipments is immense, breaking bulk should be avoided whenever it
can possibly be done, & I shall endeavor to push the corn through to
Charlotte without stopping here. |
| I am very Respectfully |
| W H Smith |
| Major & CS |