| From the Savannah Morning News |
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| March 12, 1862 |
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| To Our Railroads |
| Bacon is very high -- so high
that the poor who have to buy it with the wages of their daily labor, or
with the proceeds of farm products raised by their own toil, must either
do without or content themselves to a very scanty allowance. It will get
higher and scarcer, and that very soon, unless we win back Tennessee and
Kentucky from the foul dominion of the Yankee army. |
| The best substitute for meat
that we know of for people who labor is molasses or syrup, and rice. The
crop of molasses in Louisiana last year was abundant -- almost
unprecedented; and it was largely bought by many of our people to supply
the lack of meat. We know of many farmers going to New Orleans and
purchasing their own supplies, while our merchants here, in Macon,
Augusta, Columbus, &c., purchased very liberally to supply what all
sagacious men knew would be a very great demand for those articles. Most
of this stock was shipped up the Mississippi to Memphis, and the greater
portion of it is lying there now wasting and spoiling in the weather
because the Memphis & Charleston Railroad cannot transport it. Its
rolling stock -- its whole transporting capacity -- is almost
exclusively in the use of the Government; and if it was not, it is
impossible for the road to bring away from that place the Georgia
freight as fast as it arrives -- let alone other freights. |
| There is now a million dollars
worth of sugar and molasses, belonging to Georgians, lying at Memphis --
much of it in the weather and wasting -- which cannot be moved, and
never will be by the ordinary means of transportation. It is in danger
of being captured by the enemy. If it is not brought away our people
will suffer with hunger; for meat they have not and cannot get, and
bread will soon be scarce, if people have to live upon that alone. |
| In view of these
circumstances, it seems to us that it is the duty of our railroads --
the Georgia, Macon & Western, Atlanta & West Point, Central,
South-Western and Western & Atlantic, &c. -- to send all their available
rolling stock to Memphis at once, and bring away the immense stores that
are now lying there for Georgia. We think none of them, in view of the
facts which we have stated, should stickle upon questions of etiquette,
or the equitable adjustment of the expenses to each that should govern
in ordinary cases. The freight there is the staff of life, almost, to
thousands of Georgians; and the roads owe something to the people of
Georgia in this matter as a question of public duty. We hope it will at
once be done. |
| Atlanta Confederacy |
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