| Richmond Va Decr 8th 1864 |
| |
| The undersigned agents of Georgia in the matter of
the proposed impressment of the Engine John Williams be leave to
submit. |
| 1st This Engine was bonafide in our employment on the
17th day of September A. D. 1864 and has been since that date. It has
made five regular trips from Saltville Virginia in such employment
carrying out Georgia salt. If Col Sims or any other officer of the
Government was making application for this Engine or trying to get it
at the time we employed it, it must have been previous to that date. |
| 2d The necessity does not exist to impress this
Engine. If the necessity of General Lee's Army requires the use of an
Engine, one in good running order is needed. Although this Engine may
be used some it needs tires now in process of preparation. It is not
ready for immediate efficient use. It could not be relied upon to take
it far away from its shop. The proposal is to impress it and use it
when the repairs are completed. Can impressments be made to meet
future conjectural necessities? That would be prep?? absurd. But the
letter of Robert L Owen Presdt Va & Tenn RR addressed to Col Sims a
copy of which is ??? the honor to send in to the Sec or War on
yesterday, gives information of other Engines Engines nearer to Lee's
Army which can immediately do the work. And indeed the papers show
that Col Bird Presdt South Side RR expected to have an Engine ready by
this time or so shortly thereafter that it would be ready before the
John Williams could be gotten to the work by the exercise of the
utmost diligence. |
| 3rd The receipts alleged is the present or
prospective need of General Lee's Army. This Engine is already in
public employment to supply the present need of the families of a
considerable portion of General Lees Army. There are other Engines
that may be had that are in private employment. If the officers do not
know of them the alleged necessity has not pressed them sorely, for if
it had, such is their known diligence and efficiency that they would
have informed themselves. Especially after receiving Col Owen's letter
above referred to. |
| 4th General Lee's Army can be supplied by Engines
nearer to its field operations. The Georgia service which also
presents its receipts appealing to humanity, cannot be supplied by any
other now known to us. |
| Respectfully Submitted |
| A. E. Cox |
| B H Bigham |
| Agents fof Georgia |