| Macon Ga. April 13th 1863 |
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Col J Gorgas |
| Chf of Ordnance |
| Richmond, Va. |
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| Colonel, |
| I have had the honor in former letters to
bring under your notice the danger of building operations for the
Ordnance Department at this point being stopped by want of
transportation on the railroads centering in Macon, especially the Macon
& Western R/R, extending from this place to Atlanta, and upon which the
projected works under direction of Col. J. H. Burton and myself are
located. |
| The great want, that of cars, can be
supplied if wheels and axles can be had. The Macon & Western R/R Co. has
with commendable energy begun the manufacture of wheels at the Co.'s
Shops, but axles must be had from some extraneous source. |
| The R/R Co's are practically cut off from
supplies from the rolling mills of the South, owing to the fact that the
latter are all under Government control. Unless some aid therefore is
extended to the R/R Co's by Government enabling the rolling stock to be
kept up it will be impossible to obtain transportation for Government
supplies. The difficulty is increasing rapidly every day as car after
car wears out or is disabled by accident, and this question of R/R
transportation is one of vital importance to the prosecution of the
Government buildings in the neighborhood of Macon. Unless building
materials can be hauled the work must stop. |
| I would respectfully ask that the Macon &
Western R/R Co. be allowed to purchase from the Etowah Works, the
Tredegar Works, or some other establishment under Government Control
iron axles enough for 5 or 6 cars, they will make the wheels themselves,
build the cars, and as I am informed, can probably do most of the work
required by the Ordnance establishments here, if this very modest
addition to their rolling stock be made. |
| I am, Col. &c. J. W. M. |
| {J. W. Mallet Captain} |
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