| Office of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad |
| Mobile, Ala., Jany 21st 1865 |
| |
| Major Willis |
| |
| Enclosed herewith please find a statement
of account of expenses for repairing of a portion of the Mobile &
Ohio RR destroyed by Genl Sherman's Raid, including the cost of cars
destroyed unnecessarily by our own military commanders. |
| The rebuilding of the destroyed portion of
the road was ordered by Genl Polk who under authority conferred on him
from Richmond assumed the payment of all expenses. |
| The rebuilding of the destroyed portion of
the road was deemed essential to the operations of the Army but was
not expected to yield, and has not yielded any material benefit to the
Company. Hence the agreement of the Government to pay the expenses. |
| The account also includes the amount of
the damage of the more recent raid of Genl Grierson. In regard to this
no expenses promise has been made, as was done in the former case, but
it clearly falls within the same equity. You will confer a special
favor by aiding us in having these accounts settled by the Government.
As I explained to you in person, we are nearly run down, and cannot
run the road six months longer without relief from the Government.
Please have an order made to audit and settle the accounts & we
will furnish the proof of their correctness. |
| We have about Two thousand bales of cotton
which we desire to send through the lines & purchase materials for
the repairs of our road rolling stock. We have forwarded to the War
Dept a full statement of the case fully endorsed by Genl Taylor. Will
you please also aid us in this. In payment of amounts due from the
Government we have been constantly compelled to take bonds when we
were not able to pay our expenses & keep up the repairs of the
road. We are reduced by repeated raids of the enemy and the immense
destruction on our road, so that we must be paid promptly in Cash for
amount due us. We have run the road almost entirely for the benefit of
the army & have nearly sacrificed the road. The Government is now
far more interested in sustaining the road than the stockholders are. |
| Most Respectfully submitted |
| Milton Brown Prest. |
| Mobile & Ohio R. R. Compy |
| |
| {on the back of the letter} |
| Recd Feby 18th/65 |
| Claim for Damages |
| Q M Genl |
| For examination & report as to the proper action to
be taken |
| By order |
| J A Campbell |
| As? |
| 8 Feby 65 |
| Qr. Mr. Genls Office |
| Richmond Feb. 10/65 |
| Res referred to Lt Col F. W. Sims |
| By order Qr. Mr. Genl |
| Ch. Harris |
| Capt & AQM |