| Hdqrs. Department of Ala., Miss., and East La. |
| Selma, Ala. |
| October 23, 1864 |
| |
| Brig. Gen. P. D. Roddey |
| Commanding District, &c. |
| Tuscumbia, Ala.
|
|
|
| General,
|
| The lieutenant-general commanding
directs me to inform you that General Hood moved on the 21st instant
toward Guntersville, on the
Tennessee River
, and has probably by this time crossed that stream with his army.
This movement renders it necessary to transport all the supplies for
the Army of Tennessee by railroad to Cherokee or Tuscumbia, if
possible, via Corinth. Owing to the bad condition of Mobile & Ohio Railroad north of
Okolona
and of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, it becomes absolutely
necessary that both these roads shall be immediately repaired. The
lieutenant-general commanding therefore directs that you immediately
proceed to impress hands and tools to repair the railroad from Corinth
to Cherokee, and from Cherokee to Tuscumbia. If you are unable to at
once impress or hire negroes for this purpose you will put your
troops to work on the railroad, beginning by clearing the track
between Corinth
and Cherokee of weeds and grass, putting in new cross-ties where
necessary, and establishing abundance of water stations along the
route. The lieutenant-general commanding has ordered all the negroes
at his disposal to be sent to Okolona to work the road from there to
Corinth. If you can possibly get out negroes enough to spare any for that
work, the lieutenant-general commanding wishes you to turn them over
to the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. These repairs are now matters of
the first importance, and the lieutenant-general commanding expects
you to lend all your energies and influence to their speedy
completion.
|
| *****
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| I am, general, most respectfully, your obedient
servant,
|
| W. F. Bullock, Jr.
|
| Assistant-Adjutant General
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|