| Navy Department, C. S. A. |
| Richmond,
March 11, 1864 |
| |
| Hon. James A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| I beg leave to call
your attention to the inclosed extracts from letters of Flag Officer
Lynch and Lieutenant Loyall, C. S. Navy, dated the 8th instant, and
respectfully request that instructions may be given to have the iron
plates referred to transported to Kinston and Halifax at the
earliest moment. The gun-boats at those points are completed with
the exception of the iron plating, and the mechanics are delayed in
their work waiting for it. The work upon these vessels has been
delayed for months by the want of transportation, and now that they
are very near completion I respectfully urge that no further delay
on this account may be had, for unless completed at an early day the
detention of the boat at Kinston by the fall of Neuse River will be
disastrous and may cause her destruction. The subject is of so much
importance that I suggest the detail by the Quartermaster-General of
an officer specially charged with it. |
| I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, |
| S. R. Mallory |
| Secretary of the Navy |
| |
|
First indorsement |
| March 12, 1864 |
| |
| Quartermaster-General, for inquiry and
remarks. |
| James A. Seddon |
| Secretary |
| |
|
Second indorsement |
| Quartermaster-General's Office |
| March 15, 1864 |
| |
| Respectfully returned to honorable
Secretary of War. |
| At present forage and food necessary for
our armies in the field demand our entire transportation. |
| A. R. Lawton |
| Quartermaster-General |
| |
|
Third indorsement |
| Inform honorable Secretary. |
| J. A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
| |
|
Inclosure |
| Extract
from Flag Officer Lynch's letter of the 6th instant to Secretary of
the Navy: |
| Fourteen car-loads of plate
iron arrived last evening, and for a week past we have had two
car-loads waiting transportation to Kinston{,
N. C., on the Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad} and
Halifax{, N. C., on the Wilmington &
Weldon Railroad}. The whole rolling capacity of the road,
except passenger trains, has been monopolized by the army, and I
fear the completion of the gun-boats at those places will be
delayed. Besides my own occasional visits to the depot, a reliable
officer is detailed to be there twice every day and apply for and
report the prospects of obtaining transportation. The rights of the
Navy are not respected, its wants are utterly disregarded, and it is
in the power of an acting assistant quartermaster to cause our
transportation to be set aside at will. The importance of speedily
completing the iron-clad on the Neuse {River} and
Roanoke {River} does not seem to be
comprehended. |
| |
| Extract
from Lieut. B. P. Loyall's letter to Secretary of the Navy, of the
same date: |
| Flag Officer Lynch telegraphs
me today that he cannot procure transportation for me from
Wilmington. We are in want of it here. |
|