Hdqrs. Department of Ala., Miss., and East La.
| Selma, October 27, 1864 |
| |
| Col. George W. Brent |
| Assistant Adjutant-General |
| |
| Colonel, |
| I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
your communication the 23d instant. Major Whitfield, assistant
quartermaster, in charge of railroad transportation, was sent several
days ago, with all the negro hands which could be withdrawn from
Mobile and Demopolis, for the purpose of putting in order the Mobile &
Ohio Railroad and Memphis & Charleston road
in accordance with the wishes and instructions of the general
commanding. Major-General Gardner has been directed to have a
suitable block-house erected at Corinth and other important points
on the line of railroad communication within his district. At the
railroad crossing of Bear Creek General Roddey had better make the
necessary defenses, and he being accessible to General Hood the
proper orders may be given him directly by General H. One of my
staff officers has been sent to North Mississippi and Alabama for
the purpose of urging forward the work on the roads. In the
construction of field-works, etc., we must rely almost entirely upon
the labor of captured negroes, as the section of country in which
the work is to be done will afford very few hands, it being almost
stripped of slaves. General Forrest has been instructed to place
suitable garrison at Corinth, and about 300 men now constitute the
garrison. Brigadier-General Adams commands an important district in
the department and cannot be spared from his present position
without great detriment to the service. Tuscumbia until recently has
been the headquarters of General Roddey. It is distant about
fourteen miles from Cherokee, the railroad between those places {the
Memphis & Charleston} having been entirely destroyed.
Colonel Reid will doubtless be the best commander who can now be
supplied at Cherokee or Tuscumbia, as the post may be established at
the one or the other point. Orders have been given to Major-General
Forrest to report to General Hood for duty in Middle Tennessee.
Colonel Meriwether has been instructed to complete the railroad to
Jacksonville {Alabama & Tennessee River
RR}. I had hoped, however;
that the general commanding would have suspended the work of this
extension. To effect the completion of the road to Jacksonville
involves the necessity of taking up the iron from the branch road to
Marion {the Cahaba, Marion & Greensboro
Railroad}, which is in daily use and of considerable military
as well as local importance in transportation of supplies. All men
belonging to the Army of Tennessee are sent forward as rapidly as
possible, placing them in charge of officers of that army who pass
through this place en route to their commands. The road
between Memphis and Corinth {the Memphis &
Charleston Railroad} has been very effectually destroyed to
within a short distance of the former place. All the bridges and the
trestle-work have been burned and instructions have been given to
render the destruction as complete as possible.
|
| *****
|
| I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient
servant |
| R. Taylor |
| Lieutenant-General |
|