NA, RRB 2/27/1864

Confederate States, Quartermaster's Department
Railroad Bureau
Richmond, Febry 27th 1864
 
Brig Genl. A. R. Lawton
Q. M. G.
 
General,
   All railroad experience has proven the bad policy of permitting cars from leaving the owning road, even in peace when they could be quickly replaced at a small cost the plan of running through cars was only adopted to meet some temporary emergency, and not in my recollection has any permanent arrangement been made for interchange of cars without causing great destruction of property and ill feeling between the companies intrusted. The reasons are obvious why this should always occur. Cars need constant attention and repairing which none but owners will give them. A want of proper greasing, which surely happens with cars away from home, causes friction which in a short time renders them unfit to run. An imperceptible injury may culminate in accident on a road that should bear no blame for it. But aside from these objections which occur with the interested Superintendents when each is equally energetic and honest in his instructing them is the much graver objection always raised that when cars go on foreign roads they receive no attention whatever and if an accident happens to them it is never repaired until taken home by the owner. To show you how this system puts cars out of existence, two years ago the Confederacy owned 200 cars, today there is not 100 of them in existence and this too without any loss having occurred in one year. In my own experience a loss of 40 cars occurred on the Geo. Central RRd by an interchange of cars and the system was finally abandoned as impracticable. The Montgomery & West Point RRd has done more work in proportion to its equipment and is in better order, considering its advantages, than any road in the Confederacy resulting from the fact that its cars cannot get off its road because of a break of guage at each end. No body takes care of a car like its owner and I am utterly opposed to any arrangement that contemplates a removal from under this watchful eye. It was tried fairly in the beginning of the war and worked disastrously, why should we repeat our misfortune? So firmly convinced was my predecessor, Col. W. M. Wadley (by common consent the best Railroad manager in the Confederacy) of the destruction consequent upon interchanging cars that he discontinued it in every particular, and even went so far as to dispose of, to the several RRd Co's, all the cars owned by Govt. If the work we have before us will be to aid in a few months the destruction of cars would be as nothing compared to the ends to be attained, but will the uncertainty upon us there surely can be no doubt as to the policy of economizing them, even if it should deprive us of some temporary advantage. We may struggle along with the present equipment and live, but if it is diminished these same are ??able probability of its being received, and the contemplation of any further diminution is trouble indeed. 
   While I am opposed to taking cars away from owning roads, yet the emergency of the country presses upon us the necessity that Govt should own a supply of cars even with the probability of their suffering from neglect. These cars should be built by Govt and suited to the guage 4' 8 1/2". We should have not less than 200 in constant repair and if the proper facilities, of men and material are sufficient and I believe in some months all this number will be at work, some of course much service, but the entire 200 in that time. These cars should ply between Charlotte, and Wilmington, and Richmond. To see that they are not unnecessarily detained the transportation agents at the several points where they would go from one road into the possession of another, should take an acct of them by their numbers and on the delivering and charge the receiving road. It should also {line missing on the fold} examined for breaks and for greasing. A repair shop should be sent the ??? of the agents as to receipt and the ?????  cars retained too long to bring the de????? 
   This is a brief outline of the plan which provides that ????? security to Govt. property and would accomplish ????? running cars through. ????? first outlay would be going bu????? cost of transportation a f?????
   The question is specifically one of ????? the Govt. control both at ?????
I am General
Very respectfully
Your obdt svt
F. W. Sims
Lt. Col. & Q. M.
{the missing words in the last three paragraphs are due to bleeding through of the endorsement and file material on the reverse of the last page}
1st March '64
Respectfully referred to the Secy of War in connection with a former communication from Col. Sims as to the capacity of the shops at Petersburg, & the pressing demands for mechanics. I see no other method of securing the necessary transportation for the food & forage of our army, and every day's delay is dangerous. 
A. R. Lawton
Qr. Mr. Genl.

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