| Quartermaster General's Department |
| Richmond, March 18th, 1864 |
| |
| T. J. Sumner {Superintendent,
North Carolina RR} |
| Eng. & Supt. |
| Company Shops, N. C. |
| |
| Sir, |
| Your telegrams, touching the recent action
of the Sec. of War (through this office) stopping passenger trains for
a time, were received and carefully noted. Please consider this as a
reply, as it was not practicable to reply at the time. |
| I regret that you do not see the gain to
Government Transportation by the stoppage of passenger trains &
all other freight, while it is waiting shipment; but the results
have fully vindicated the act of the War Dept. More Govt. stores have
been transported from Wilmington & Charlotte to Richmond in the
last five days, than ever before during this war, during the same
length of time. And I am surprised that one of your judgment &
experience should fail to see the benefits that must result to the
transportation of freight; by withdrawing passenger trains altogether,
even though no other use is made of the rolling {stock}
so withdrawn from active labor. The mere delays to
freight trains on a road, by having their movements controlled by the
schedule times of the passenger trains, are very serious. Moreover,
the withdrawal of the latter permits the R. Road Company to bestow all
its skill & energy on the prompt movement of freight. |
| This much I have thought proper to say in
deference to your views. And you are mistaken if you suppose that this
action of the Department, has any other object in view, than the
discharge of the manifest & all important duty of supplying our
armies in the field. To this end let us all work; taking it for
granted that when those in authority resort to stringent measures they
have abundant evidence that they are necessary. Rest assured, there
shall be no interference by this Dept. with any R. Road, unless
demanded by a sense of duty. |
| A. R. Lawton, Q. M. Genl. |
|