Greensborough, Guilford County, N. C., July 1,
1864
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| Hon. James A. Seddon, Secretary of War, Richmond, Va. |
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| Sir, |
| On my arrival at this place four or five
days ago I found the enemy had destroyed a part of the Richmond
& Danville Railroad south of Burkeville. To aid in making the repairs
vital to the working of the road and the supply of General Lee's
army, I sent Lieut. Col. John J. Clarke, engineer, to Charlotte, N.
C., with orders to remove iron from the Charlotte and Statesville
road {the Atlantic, Tennessee & Ohio
Railroad} and forward it to Danville, the same being a
military necessity. The working parties have been organized by
Colonel Clarke, and the work will be pressed as rapidly as the means
at hand will permit. Under my instructions Colonel Clarke and Capt.
E. T. D. Myers, engineers, will do all in their power to forward the
repairs on the Richmond & Danville Railroad. Both of these
officers are now on the road near the break to give professional
assistance. In the meantime as many wagons and teams as possible
should be put on the break to haul forward the supplies most needed
by the army. Maj. J. N. Edmondston, inspector of field
transportation at this place, has been very successful in his
efforts to collect draft animals in this region of country for
artillery and transportation purposes (over 500), which he is
forwarding as rapidly as possible to Clarksville, Va., subject to
the orders of Maj. George Johnston, chief inspector field
transportation at Richmond. If these animals or a part of them can
be spared for hauling across the break in the road, they will be
near the point when at Clarksville. I fear it will require from
twenty-five to thirty days to get the cars running through. At
present supplies will have to be hauled about twenty-five miles, but
the road is reported good. I suffer much from the condition of my
eyes, but I will proceed to Richmond as soon as I think I can be of
any service in the bureau or elsewhere. While I will do all that is
possible to renew the connections now broken and to press forward
supplies, if necessary I will have all the iron taken from the
Charlotte and Statesville Railroad and transported to Danville, Va.
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| I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant |
| J. F. Gilmer |
| Major-General and Chief of Engineer Bureau |
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| [First indorsement] |
| July 6, 1864 |
| To Quartermaster-General for attention to so
much of the letter as relates to the horses sent to Clarksville, and
such prompt action as he deems judicious. Return this letter.
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| J. A. Seddon, Secretary |
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| [Second indorsement] |
| July 6, 1864 |
| Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War. |
| The matters referred to in this letter which
appertain to this Department had been already attended to.
|
| A. R. Lawton |
| Quartermaster-General |
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