| Richmond, Decr 1st 1862 |
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His Excellency Jeff. Davis |
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President of the C. S. A. |
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Sir, |
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Some time ago a communication was addressed to the War
Department, calling the attention of the Secretary of War to the
importance of completing the connection of the Roanoke Valley Railroad
with the Richmond & Danville Railroad, by an extension of the former
Railroad from the Town of Clarksville in the State of Virginia to a
station on the latter road, called Keysville, which extension had
already been commenced and for a great extent, completed, hen the work
was interrupted by the War. This communication led to a reference of the
matter to the Engineer Bureau, and to a general examination of the
proposed extension and a Report in regard to ???. We are informed that
the Report and papers connected with it were referred to your
Excellency; and being deeply interested in the work, and well satisfied
of its importance to the Government, especially at this particular time,
when the other lines of communication between this place and the
South are threatened by the enemy, we hope we may be pardoned for
venturing to call your attention to the subject. |
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The Report and Papers referred to, if in your possession or
if called for by you, will furnish all the information which we could
give and in a more accurate and authentic manner than it could be given
by us. We beg leave to state, in general terms, that the proposed
extension would connect the Richmond & Danville Railroad with the
Raleigh & Gaston Railroad in North Carolina, by the Roanoke Valley
Railroad, now in operation from Clarksville to the Raleigh & Gaston
Railroad, and, through the last named Railroad, with all the Railroads
in the States South of it. The points of connection with the Richmond &
Danville and the Raleigh & Gaston Railroads are, respectively, about
midway between Richmond & Danville, from which latter place it is
proposed to extend the Richmond & Danville Railroad to Greensborough in
North Carolina, and between Weldon & Greensborough; and would thus
afford, when completed, an intermediate route between the road from
Richmond to Weldon, and from Danville to Greensborough, when the latter
road is completed, and a route at least Seventy miles distant from any
point which the enemy can reach by their Gunboats. If the extension of
the Richmond & Danville R. R. from Danville to Greensborough was
completed, and neither of the routes was captured by the enemy, it is
confidently believed that all three would not more than suffice for the
present requirements of Government transportation, while the proposed
additional route by Clarksville would greatly relieve the general
transportation and shorten materially a large portion of that required
by the Government. At this time, as is known to your Excellency, the
whole transportation of the States South of Richmond and East of the
Mountains has to pass over the single rout from Richmond to Weldon, a
distance of from 80 to 90 miles. The proposed connection would divide
the transportation and thus greatly relieve the single route from this
place to Weldon. One of us has been assured that the saving in cost of
transportation to the Commissary Department alone, by the shortening of
transportation, by the proposed connection, from Clarksville and the
adjacent country in Virginia & North Carolina, would it is believed more
than remunerate the Government for the cost of the work. It may be
proper to add that the whole distance from Clarksville to Keysville is
only 30 1/2 miles, and that it is believed that about half the work, in
cost & labor, has been already completed. |
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If deemed proper by the Government to render any aid to the
completion of the work, we are authorized to say that the Roanoke Valley
Railroad Company will use its corporate powers and its best energies for
its speedy completion in any way and on any terms deemed proper by the
Government; and with a view to that end, we respectfully submit a
proposition signed by the late President of the Company and sanctioned
by one of us, who is not the President; expressing however the assurance
that the Company will concur in any other proposition more satisfactory
to the Government, and the confident belief that, instead of the
completion of the road in six months, as therein suggested, it may be
done in three or four months, if sufficient aid is given by the
Government. |
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Very Respectfully |
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Your obdt. Sevts |
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Wm A. Smith Pres |
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R. V. R. Road |
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Thos. A. Ailes |
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