| Engineer Bureau |
| 9 July 1864 |
| |
| To the Hon. Secretary of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| A telegram which I have the honor to
enclose herewith has been recd. from Mr. Wm. Johnston, Presdt. of the
Charlotte & Statesville {Atlantic, Tennessee
& Ohio RR} & of the Charlotte & S. Ca. {South
Carolina} R. R. Companies, in which he earnestly requests that
(12) miles of the Charlotte & Statesville R. R. be removed to
repair & refit the Charlotte & S. Ca. R. Rd. which forms an
important portion of one of the main track lines of the Confederacy
& is represented by Lt. Col. Sims, Col. C. F. M. Garnett &
others to be in a very bad condition. |
| The Charlotte & Statesville R. R. was
originally (42) forty-two miles long; of this there were six miles of
strap rail & six miles have been removed to be used on the
Piedmont RRoad. If of the thirty (30) miles still left on the road
twelve (12) miles be turned over to Mr. Johnston for the repairs of
the very important Charlotte & S Ca R. Rd. will still remain (18)
eighteen miles of T iron for the reconstruction of the {Richmond
&} Danville R. R. & for other important objects. |
| Under these circumstances I unite with
Col. C. F. M. Garnett Commissioner in earnestly recommending that
instructions be given in accordance with Mr. Johnston's request i.e.
to allow twelve miles of the Charlotte & Statesville R. R. next to
Charlotte to remain untouched for the present. |
| Very resp'y &c |
| A. L. Rives |
| Col. &c |