Subsistence Department, C. S. A.
| Richmond,
Va., April 7, 1864 |
| |
| General
S. Cooper |
| Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va. |
| |
| General, |
| I would respectfully call your
attention to the difficulties now attending the transportation of
supplies from the Southern States of the Confederacy to this point.
For a long time past the commissariat of Virginia has been in a most
precarious condition, at times without a day's ration on hand, while
supplies may be said to be in one particular abundant in portions of
the Confederacy, and some railroad depots south are filled with
stores awaiting transportation. While General Lee's army has been
for a long time on very short meat rations there are now 1,000,000
pounds of meat en route to this point. It cannot be said that
there is such an actual deficiency in rolling-stock as to cause this
difficulty, when the whole capacity of the railroads has never been
put in use, for passenger trains still run. The records of this
office will furnish abundant evidence that this evil is of long
standing and has been repeatedly brought to the notice of the
honorable Secretary of War. In the fall of 1862 an effort was made
to have the passenger trains stopped and all the rolling-stock used
for carrying stores; again in the summer of 1863 the effort was made
and General Lee requested to use his influence to effect this
arrangement. I inclose for your better information a copy of this
letter. I add, what will be found reiterated again and again in my
indorsements upon papers relating to this matter of transportation,
that the remedy of the existing evils is of incalculable importance
to the Confederacy, and that continuing they may result in the loss
of Richmond and the pillaging of our own country by a soldiery
disorganized and demoralized by hunger.
|
| I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient
servant |
| L. B. Northrop |
| Commissary-General |
| |
|
First indorsement
|
| Respectfully submitted to the Secretary of War. |
| H. L. Clay |
| Assistant Adjutant-General |
| |
|
Second indorsement
|
| Respectfully submitted to the President at the
particular request of Colonel Northrop. |
| S. Cooper |
| Adjutant and Inspector General |
| |
|
Third indorsement
|
| April 18, 1864 |
| General Bragg for attention and report. The matter is
that of which we have repeatedly conversed. |
| J. D. |
| |
|
Fourth indorsement
|
| Headquarters Armies Confederate States |
| Richmond, April 20, 1864 |
| |
| Respectfully returned to His Excellency the
President. |
| There can be no doubt as to the vital
importance of the question here presented, and it is equally certain
no adequate remedy is yet applied. The recent increase of
consumption by the re-enforcements of General Lee fully equals any
increase of supplies. It is certain the Piedmont Railroad will not
be finished before 1st of June, and I do not feel confident of its
completion by that time, unless labor and material are impressed, as
suggested in a report yesterday submitted to the honorable Secretary
of War. These difficulties may be expected to be increased soon by
the necessary transportation of troops this way. Lieutenant-Colonel
Sims is now attending a meeting of railroad presidents at Columbia,
S.C., to urge upon them an increase in the efficiency of the roads.
I must say, however, I have no hope of any important result. The
want of harmonious action between the roads is a great evil. The
breaking of bulk at so many points seriously delays freight and
increases labor. I respectfully urge that the necessity will justify
an arrangement by military supervision, if required, which will
secure the passage of freight cars on all connected roads without
breaking bulk, and that all travel be suspended except on one mail
train daily, and then Government agents, officers, and soldiers to
have precedence. Every possible reduction in the departments here
should be made so as to reduce consumption.
|
| Braxton Bragg |
| General |
| |
|
Fifth indorsement
|
| April 20, 1864 |
| Secretary of War for his consideration and remarks. |
| J. D. |
| |
|
Sixth indorsement
|
| April 22, 1864 |
| Respectfully returned to the President. |
| The vital importance of increasing supplies
for the armies in this State is fully realized. Whether it be
possible to do so without depleting the city of Richmond is, with
the limited means of railroad transportation, very doubtful.
Certainly the utmost capacities of the roads should be commanded and
used, and if necessary for such control, I concur with General Bragg
in recommending that military possession be taken of them and that
they be run under competent management, without the embarrassment of
distinct roads and separate schedules. Conscious of the importance
of this, I have directed every effort to be made to secure the
concurrence of the roads in this plan, and the officer in charge of
transportation is now in conference with the railroad presidents on
the subject. He was enjoined earnestly to leave no means unemployed
and to use all the powers which the department could give to control
and engage in transportation the full resources of the roads. I
concur in thinking travel, especially toward this city, should be
almost suspended, as indeed has already been done, and that all
supernumeraries or others in the various offices and posts under the
control of the Government who can be spared should be sent away. |
| J. A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
| |
|
Seventh indorsement
|
| April 23, 1864 |
| Secretary of War |
| |
| Due effort should be made to secure the
co-operation of railroad companies in the most effective plan before
proceeding to take possession of the railroads. I am not encouraged
by the past to expect that all difficulties would be removed by
transferring the management of these extensive organizations to the
agents of the War Department. Every proper effort should be made to
reduce the consumers of this city, and the means heretofore
suggested to you are still believed to be those best suited to the
circumstances and object. |
| J. Davis |
|