| Macon Ga. Jany 22nd 1864 |
| |
| Hon. Dr. Thomas Menees |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| I invite your attention to the following
scheme for the movement and encouragement of the power of the
government to transport Armies Munitions of war, and
provisions, and for the ??? better control and preservation of this
vital power; relying that should the suggestions made appear to you
upon examination worthy of being put into practical operation, you
will at once take such steps as may be deemed necessary for the
accomplishment of the object sought. |
| I propose first a change of the Gauge
of the Montgomery & West Point Railroad -- making it ??? with
the whole western system of Roads. Secondly, transport its
rolling stock to the Roads East & north of Charlotte -- which
have the same Gauge with the M & West Point RR. Thirdly, Stock
and appropriate the Montgomery & West Point Railroad with the
"refugee stock" of abandoned Tennessee Railroads. |
| In support of the above I offer the
following touching its propriety and practicality. |
| It is ????? Railroad men that the
strength of a line of Railroad for through transportation is
the strength of the weakest point on the whole line. For
illustration of the Road from Petersburg to Weldon cannot transport
more than one thousand men daily between its termini -- then one
thousand men transported daily is the maximum power of the whole
line of which the Road from Petersburg to Weldon is a part --
whatever ??ss of individual strength each other link of the line may
possess. Now, it is admitted that the Broad Gauge Roads are stronger
than the Narrow Gauge Roads -- This fact is due partly to the fact
that while the Narrow Gauge Roads have recruited their stock to a
very trifling extent by the use of a very few Engines & cars
captured on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad -- The Broad Gauge
Roads have been strengthened by the machinery of the Louisville
& Nashville & Memphis Branch RRoads in Kentucky, and the
stock of every Road in Middle & West Tennessee -- & Northern
Alabama. |
| My plan ??? in at the transfer of the
Rolling stock of the M & West Point Road to the weak Roads of
same Gauge north & east of Charlotte -- affording thereby a
????? to equality as the ??? power of the several Roads composing
the through line between Richmond to Dalon {Dalton?}
& Mobile. |
| It cannot be objected that there might
be difficulty in restocking the Montgomery & West Point Road.
The ??? opportunity thus afford Refugee Railroad Co's to concentrate
their Cars & Engines on one Road, and thus bring these
under control, would be eagerly sought by all of that class; while
either of several Tenn RRoad Companies can easily command &
concentrate on said Road a much larger equipment than it now
possesses. |
| I know no positive information of the
will of the Management of the M & WP RR with regard to the
change proposed. I only know that for years they have had in
contemplation a change of the Gauge of their Road regarding a change
to uniformity with the system of Roads with which they are connected
as an indispensable means of enlarging the power and business of
their line. |
| Knowing further that the in?? of this
one single narrow Gauge Road ?????, and as a part of the grand
A??tre of the whole system of ????? |
| But the most important ??? for the
change is found on the fact: that it is absolutely necessary as a
measure ??ing the ??? consequences of all Roads South of Montgomery,
and with it the Alabama river, one will ????? by the Enemy. |
| As now ??? of ????? flight would be
impossible as each engine or car moved from other Roads ????? from
Montgomery, would have to be loaded & hauled as ??? over
the Montgomery & West Point Road. Many other strong &
unanswerable reasons for the change exist, which prove the very
obvious prop??, need not be named -- A moments thought of the value
of ????? employment of the power of delivering provisions the will
bring up Transportation as a vital coordinate power of defence,
without which more and more of said provisions & munitions of
war are easily more than a mere prey for the Enemy. The only
remaining question is as to the practicabilities of the proposed
change, with the means at ???, and whether ????? |
| I am authorized ????? as a Genl Examiner
for Q. M. Transportation ?????? speaking, where this ?????: |
| bacon & meat the ??ge case ????? to
500 men in two days at the outset -- after the preliminary ??? of
about 100 men for ten days in the work of preparation -- supposing
the same hands to be provided with proper implements, and ????? The
whole problem is simply the removal of one Rail or side of
the track three and one half inches further from the center and its
security in said position. |
| By measures of the arrangement the
movement of the rail and the removal of the Montgomery & West
Point Rolling Stock and its substitution by Broad Gauge machinery
might be affected, with the force named, without suspending the
regular passage of trains more than two days at most. To effect this
object it might be necessary to confer on the Supr. or ?????over
powers not now possessed -- yet as for assistance the impressment of
??? warehouses, etc. Govt use and the power to ??? for company use
??? Montgomery & WP ????? additional power must be granted if
????? steps to obtain it. |
| While on the subject of the ????? with
the following -- |
| It has been the policy of the Govt to
????? Transportation to individual ??? & patronize as a means of
maintenance, ????? advancing the ????? that ????? if, and disasters
to RRoad property would have been provided, while the carrying power
of the system would have been improved. |
| ???? there was a time when the entire
Rolling Stock of the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern
Railroad and the Miss. Central Railroad together with the numerous
Engines & Cars ??? other Roads were ??? a portion of said Roads
less than half their ????? They had their ??? together ??? Cars
& Engines, which they could not use while other Roads upon which
they were much needed were struggling to ??ply & meet the
demands upon them. With the fall of Jackson all this vast equipment
instantly fell into the hands of the enemy. No officer of Govt,
charged with the duty of ????? the equipment of ??? & Road to
the ????? before the actual capitulation of Jackson and if ??? and
at ???? |
| ????? would have increased, had the
control of the Roads been ??isted to some Govt officer ??? specific
??? the policy of carrying to ????? certainly a dangerous one, as
every instance in which there exists in the ????? a reasonable hope
that the property will not be destroyed by the enemy, and ??? does
this apply to Railroads, since experience thus far has demonstrated
the fact that to ??? and ??? RR machinery is almost certain ????? or
would be of little avail to change the Gauge of the M&WP RR as a
means of helping the surplus of the rolling stock of Roads west of
the Hlatossia river, if worth this change ????? arrangements were
not similarly made for the transfer of the same on the Alabama and
Tombigbee Rivers, neither of which is bridged. Again it will avail
little to increase the Rolling Stock of one road if for the want of
tanks, wood and particularly transfer platforms, it ????? hard
Rolling stock enough to work the road to its peak efficiency. |
| The power to build, to enlarge, to
impress and to the necessity of travel control of Railroads should
be lodged in some Government officer, as his whole and specific work
of this there is no doubt. |
| I commend this subject to your desperate
attention, hoping that you will take it in hand and place it
tangibly before the proper authorities for action. |
| Very truly & |
| ????? obt svt |
| G. B. Fleece |
| Ch Eng & Sup {Memphis,
Clarksville & Louisville RR} |