| From the New Orleans Daily Crescent |
| |
| March 28, 1862 |
| |
| Mayoralty of New Orleans |
| City Hall, March 20, 1862 |
| Common Council of the city of New Orleans |
| [No. 5962] |
| Whereas, The "New Orleans
& Texas Railroad Company" has been full organized for, and is
now engaged in the construction of its railroad from New Iberia, on
Bayou Teche, to Orange, on the Sabine river; and |
| Whereas, The completion of
this link of road will give us railroad connection with all parts of
Middle, Central and Southern Texas, by means of the railways already
finished in that State, and thus open to us an avenue through which we
will be enabled to receive full and constant supplies of meat and
bread-stuff -- not only for consumption in this and neighboring
cities, but an inexhaustible supply of beef, to subsist the armies of
the Confederacy, both to which are considerations of great moment at
this time, as the contracting of our lines of military defence in the
West has, to a great extent, cut off our supplies from that source;
and by the construction of this short railroad we will become
independent of the Northwest for all time for our supplies of beef,
etc., Texas furnishing enough for the consumption of all the cotton
States; and |
| Whereas, The military
importance of this road is superior to all other considerations at
this time, as it would enable Texas to throw large numbers of troops
to this point, or other places on the Mississippi river, at very short
notice, and furnish us with army supplies in greater abundance and at
cheaper rates than can be obtained from any other source, this line of
communication not being liable to attacks from the enemy, as the whole
line of seaboard south of it is a continuous sea marsh, perfectly
impassable, and the rivers which it crosses impracticable for gunboats
or other hostile craft, as they cannot be entered by vessels drawing
over three feet of water; hence this line of road will be better
protected by nature than it could be by a cordon of military posts, as
they might be taken or avoided but this sea marsh is invulnerable.
Without this road, Texas is entirely isolated from the balance of the
Confederacy; with it, she will be closely annexed to it, and add
vastly to its strength and resources, and be the means of furnishing
us with very considerable war munitions, which are being received
through Mexico and Texas ports, and which war material could be
greatly increased in quantity if means of transportation existed
between the Sabine and the Opelousas Railroad, which this road will
furnish; and |
| Whereas, The construction of
this railroad will undoubtedly furnish the city of New Orleans and the
Confederate Government a supply of beef and other provisions at a
saving on present cost of a sum annually equal in amount to its
estimated cost, and its existence as a means of military
transportation will be equivalent to an army of fifty thousand men;
therefore be it |
| Resolved, That the
"New Orleans & Texas Railroad" is a military necessity
of the first class, and its immediate costs ??tion of vital importance
to the best interests of the country, not only as an absolute
necessity for Louisiana and Texas, but also as a great national want,
and as a line of military defence for the coasts of both States and
means for the rapid transit of troops and army supplies, |
| Resolved, That we call
the attention of the Louisiana delegation in Congress to this matter,
and earnestly request them to press the immediate consideration of the
subject upon the Government at Richmond, and to use their influence
and position in obtaining for this company such assistance from the
Confederate Government as it may require to enable it to prosecute its
work to rapid completion, as we deem it eminently entitled to such
aid. |
| Resolved, That
certified copies of this preamble and resolutions be forwarded to our
delegation in Congress and to the Secretary of War, also a copy to the
officers of the New Orleans & Texas Railroad Company. |
| S. P. DeLabarre |
| President pro tem. Board of Aldermen |
| Jules Benit |
| President pro tem. Board of Assistant
Aldermen |
| Approved March 20, 1862 |
| John T. Monroe, Mayor |
|