Executive Office
| Richmond, Va., February 17, 1864 |
| |
| Governor Joseph E. Brown |
| Milledgeville, Ga. |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| Your letter of January 28, with
reference to the Western and Atlantic Railroad, also your telegrams
of January 17 and 27, referring to the same subject, have been
carefully considered and referred to the Quartermaster-General for
report. In your telegram of the
17th ultimo it is stated that the charge made by General Johnston of
want of efficiency in the management of the railroad is without
foundation; that "Confederate officers have taken from the
State road, and had lost or destroyed upon other roads, over 200
cars and eight or ten engines belonging to the road," and it is
demanded that two good engines and forty cars be immediately
returned "by the Government whose officers have deprived it of
over four times that number."
|
| Your letter of the 28th mentions that--
|
| "General A. S. Johnston before the battle
of Shiloh ordered the cars and engines of the State road carried to
Corinth, with troops and supplies for his army. Before these engines
and cars were returned the enemy occupied Huntsville and cut off all
communication by railroad, and we lost several of our best engines
and over 100 good cars. Our cars have been taken off under military
direction, and lost in Virginia and in Middle Tennessee, and quite a
number in Lieutenant-General Longstreet's service.
" |
| And further:
|
| "By the exercise of great energy the
officers of the road are now able to supply the want of General
Johnston's army, but I do not wish you to be under the erroneous
impression that this can be done with the present limited means at
command, and when it Becomes necessary, as it must soon be, for you
to re-enforce that army, if we do not get back part of our
rolling-stock, or other stock in its place, it will not be possible
to transport your supplies.
" |
| The following extracts are from a letter dated
the 9th instant to the Quartermaster-General from the officer in
charge of the Railroad Bureau at Richmond. He is speaking of the
Western and Atlantic Railroad:
|
"I have before me the annual reports of the
officers of this road to Governor Brown for the years 1861, 1862,
and 1863, in each of which is a table giving the maps and conditions
of the engines owned by this road. A comparison of 1861 and 1863
exhibits the fact that no loss of engines has occurred, the
inventory of 1861 naming forty-six machines, and that for 1863
reporting the same number and names, and in four instances where the
names have evidently been altered. The fiscal year of this road ends
September 30, so that the last report comes down to a period only
four months ago. * * * The reports of 1862 and 1863, though both
alluding to a loss of 180 cars, neither of them refer to the loss of
an engine. It does not appear probable that an officer so vigilant
in detecting the loss of cars would overlook the loss of so valuable
a piece of property as an engine, and it is still more improbable
that for two years the loss of such machines should be totally
ignored by the master of machinery, who reports them not only all
present, but goes into detail statement of their condition. * * *
General Bragg's army was at Chattanooga, thirty-eight miles farther
than General Johnston's at Dalton, and yet with the same equipment
the army was supplied. * * * To show you what the capacity of this
road was on the 30th of September last, and it is to be presumed
that no material change has taken place since, I would ask your
attention to the following exhibit of the number and condition of
its engines in 1861 and 1863:
| September 30-- |
|
1861 |
1863 |
| In good order |
36 |
20 |
| In running order |
-- |
11 |
| In repairing |
2 |
8 |
| Needing repairs |
6 |
4 |
| Rebuilding |
2 |
-- |
| Condemned |
-- |
3 |
|
Total |
46 |
46 |
|
| This road is being worked 100 miles, and to
run two passenger trains daily would require six engines. Four more
are necessary to do the work of the road, such as switching,
repairing, etc. This leaves twenty-one of the thirty-one ready for
work last September for freight service; and allowing three days to
make a trip, which would be easy work, seven freight trains daily
could be sent to Dalton. The trains would average at a low estimate
twelve cars each, giving General Johnston the capacity of
eighty-four cars, equal to 21,000 bushels corn daily. I am quite
sure that there will be plenty of cars found to do the work, if any
degree of energy is exhibited in loading and unloading and moving
them promptly. It is my opinion that this road still owns over 300
cars. * * * The cotton trains running to Wilmington, which have been
so often referred to, are engaged in very important work, which must
cease if they are removed. If circumstances render their aid
necessary in General Johnston's department, they can be sent there
on a few days' notice. They are not needed now, for General Johnston
writes, " that if the working of the road continues to be as
effective as it is now, we may hope for a gradual accumulation such
as is necessary to prepare us for accidents or movements of the
army." * * * I am confirmed in my opinion that this road, as it
to-day stands, can meet every reasonable demand upon it; and even
were the road open to Chattanooga, with good management it would
supply General Johnston were he at that point."
|
| On the 10th of February Major Hottel reports
that bountiful supplies of everything but long forage are going
forward to the army, and that that is going forward in considerable
quantities. During the past month General Johnston has complained
only of deficiencies in receipts by railroad of long forage. Upon
the receipt of General Johnston's telegrams in the early part of
January urging an improvement in the management of the railroad, I
directed the Quartermaster-General to ascertain if there was any
rolling-stock that could be spared from other roads, desiring,
irrespective of the claim upon the Government for rolling-stock
destroyed or lost, to render every possible assistance that might be
required, but the reply from the chief of the Railroad Bureau was
that there are "no engines nor cars in the Confederacy in
repair that are not in constant use." The recent reports
encourage me to hope that the Western and Atlantic Railroad may
hereafter be able to meet the demands upon it. Should it, however,
prove to be otherwise, every exertion will be made by the Government
to furnish what is needed. It is foreseen that all of the railroads
of the country must be subjected to some embarrassment from the wear
and occasional destruction of their rolling-stock, and that constant
effort will be required to replace such losses by repairing and
building new engines and cars.
|
| Very respectfully, yours |
| Jefferson Davis |
|