| War Department, C. S. |
| Richmond, August 19, 1863 |
| |
| R. R. Cuyler, Esq. {President,
Central (of Georgia) RR} |
| Savannah, Ga |
| |
| Sir, |
| I feel assured I shall be excused
for appealing to your sense of patriotic duty to render all the
efficient aid in your power to the transportation of necessary
supplies in Southern Georgia, on which we must mainly depend for the
support of our army, as well in Virginia as in Tennessee and South
Carolina.
|
| For the next sixty days there must be
great strain on the resources of transportation to give even a
moderate support to those armies. Your own energy and ability, as
well as the resources of the road under our charge, encourage me to
hope that, if you will devote especial attention to the
accomplishment of the end, it will be successfully attained. I am
advised that I could not do better than to intrust the direction and
control of this transportation exclusively to your discretion. You
can better judge how far it may be necessary that such exclusive
control should be vested in you; and I should be pleased to be
advised if, in your judgment, such measure would be expedient, and
if you would undertake the responsible duty. The importance of the
object need not be pressed on your consideration, and, appreciating
it fully, as you doubtless do, you will not, it is hoped, shrink
from any effort or responsibility which your judgment indicates as
necessary.
|
| Very sincerely, yours, |
| J. A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
|