| Brigade Headquarters |
| Lake City |
| March 28, 1862 |
| |
| His Excellency Governor Milton |
| Tallahassee, Fla. |
| |
| Sir, |
| ***** |
| Immediately upon the receipt
of your orders of the 24th instant I issued an order to Captain
Ingram, commanding Alachua Rebels, to remove the iron from such
portions of the Florida Railroad and road leading from
Jacksonville
to
Baldwin
{the Florida, Atlantic & Gulf Central RR} as was necessary to prevent the enemy's use of either road, &c.
From subsequent investigations I find that up to ten miles from
Fernandina toward Baldwin the destruction of bridges, trestle-work,
&c., has rendered that road impassable to the enemy for that
distance, and which it would probably take them two months to
reconstruct, if they meditate reconstruction. Reports from scouts
assure me that they have as yet repaired no part of it, and have not
attempted to do so. In case of closing upon the enemy in that
quarter or toward Jacksonville, these roads, for such distance as we may safely use to transport
troops, &c., will be of great importance to us, as mule teams
might not be had, or forage for them, besides the country being in
many places very bad for wagon operations. I shall certainly carry
out Your Excellency's instructions with the discretion you allow me
to prevent the enemy's use of said roads if the present removal of
iron is deemed insufficient. I have the honor to inclose to you
copies of two orders issued by General Trapier, which I saw to-day
and requested copies of them. It seems that his orders are now being
executed. |
| ***** |
| Your Excellency's obedient servant, |
| R. F. Floyd |
| Brigadier-General, Commanding |
| |
| Inclosure No. 1 |
| Special Orders No. 90 |
| Hdqrs Provisional Forces, C. S. |
| Dept. of Middle and Eastern Florida |
| Sanderson |
| March 10, 1862 |
| |
| Captain Buckman, First
Florida Battalion, with his company, is hereby charged with the
special duty of removing the iron from the track of the Florida
Railroad and the Jacksonville
railroad as soon as the trains on the latter shall cease running.
The iron will be transported to the junction of the Tallahassee
railroad {the Pensacola & Georgia RR} and the proposed
Georgia
connection; the cross ties. &c., burnt. Captain Hickman,
assistant quartermaster, will furnish the transportation. |
| By order of General Trapier: |
| R. H. Anderson |
| Major and Assistant Adjutant-General |
| |
| Inclosure No. 2 |
| Special Orders No. 108 |
| Hdqrs Provisional Forces |
| Dept. of Middle and East Florida |
| Tallahassee |
| March 18, 1862 |
| |
| Special Orders, No. 90, is
hereby modified as follows: The iron from the Florida Railroad will
not be taken up south of Callahan, and all the iron removed from
this road will be placed at Baldwin. The iron from the Jacksonville
road will be placed at Lake
City. |
| By order of General Trapier: |
| R. H. Anderson |
| Major and Assistant Adjutant-General |
| |
| NOTE -- The foregoing order
is in progress of execution by Captain Lesley, substituted for
Captain Buckman, to whom the Order, No. 90, was directed. |
| |
| Indorsement |
| April 12, 1862 |
| |
| By the influence of Hon.
David L. Yulee and General Joseph Finegan, an injunction was
obtained from a circuit judge to arrest the work. Messrs. Yulee and
Finegan have endeavored to interpose many obstacles. |
| John Milton |
| |
| Inclosure No.3 |
| Headquarters |
| Tallahassee |
| March 24, 1862 |
| |
| Brig. Gen. Richard F. Floyd |
| |
| Sir, |
| ***** |
| The iron on such parts of
the Florida Railroad and the road leading from Jacksonville to
Baldwin as may be necessary to prevent the enemy's use of either
road to the injury of the State, have removed to Lake City. Place
under arrest any who attempt or offer to attempt to prevent it, and
if necessary inform me and I will proclaim martial law in
East Florida
forthwith. After taking for use the arms and ammunition mentioned
forward or have forwarded to Tallahassee
all the balance of arms, munitions of war, blankets, shoes, &c. |
| Respectfully, |
| John Milton |
| Governor and Commander-in-Chief |
|