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Macon & Brunswick R Road Office
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| January 1st 1863 |
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| Col J H Burton |
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| Dear Sir, |
| Within the last two months,
about 100 tons R Road Iron belonging to this Company was taken from
the wharf at Darien by order of General Mercer for Government use. The
Iron was brot up to Doctor Town at the crossing of the S. A. &
Gulf RR {Savannah, Albany & Gulf RR},
over the Altamaha, were it lies now. |
| Now, while this Company is
prepared at all times to make whatever sacrifices may be necessary for
the Common Cause, looking to the fact that the Government is
establishing large works at this point, for the manufacture of arms,
ordnance &c. requiring large supplies of lumber, and to the furthr
fact that this Iron (if we had it) would enable this Company to
complete their road to a point at which is erected a set of Steam
Mills in the midst of excellently well timbered pine lands, a distance
of less than forty miles from Macon. |
| I made application last week
to Genl Mercer to release the Iron and allow us to lay it down on our
track, stating these facts to him, which he promised to consider. We
believe that the Iron laid down on our Road, might there be used with
as much benefit to the Government as in any other way. We are further
of opinion that this opening up this fine pine timber to this Market,
will cheapen lumber here. |
| The purpose of addressing you
this note is to ask a statement of your opinion as a Government
officer in charge of these works, acquainted with the facts; as to the
importance to the Government of getting this extension of our road and
I may add, that, unless we get this Iron we have no other possible
means of reaching that point. |
| Our Rolling Stock is short
& must be during the war, but, as is our duty in all cases, the
Government will be entitled to preference in the shipment of lumber
over this road. A reply to this as early as convenient, will much
oblige. |
| Yours truly |
| A. E. Cochran |
| President |
| As I neglected to state in the
body of this note that I desire to present the opinion asked for to
Genl Mercer, upon further communication with him. |
| C |
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