| Savannah, January 16, 1863 |
| |
| Brig. Gen. Thomas Jordan |
| Chief of Staff, Charleston |
| |
| General, |
| I respectfully offer the following
memorandum on the resources in Georgia for maintaining the troops of
this department, more especially those in the Military District of
Georgia, and on the great advantage of making a railroad connection
with the grain and cattle country of Florida, and inclose a small
map showing the available and non-available sections. I am prompted
to invite your consideration to this from the report of the chief
commissary of Georgia that our supply of fresh beef will be
exhausted in less than two months, and our troops thrown back on
"slender supplies" of bacon. A full report from him on the
whole subsistence question will be sent you. A review of the
Confederacy would show that Georgia and Florida are the only States
east of the Mississippi with important supplies to spare, and that
the already heavy calls upon the former from the troops to the north
and east of her is likely to increase. The grain crop of all
Northern Georgia was generally very poor, only sufficient to last
the people until next crop. A portion of Western and Middle Georgia,
which is penetrated by the railroads radiating from Atlanta, will
send their surplus to that city and on to Bragg's army. The portion
near Augusta will send its spare supplies to South Carolina. The
troops of this military district must therefore rely almost entirely
on that section contained within the red line on the accompanying
map, all north and west being non-available. This is penetrated as
follows: First. By the Central {of Georgia}
railroad and its branches, and the Southwestern railroad and its
branches from Savannah to Macon; thence to Albany on Flint River,
and to the Chattahoochee River, affording good means of
transportation of material for, say, twenty miles on either side of
the roads. Second. The Savannah, Albany, and Gulf Railroad and
extension reaching from Savannah 200 miles to Thomasville, near the
Florida line. |
| Most of the counties
connected with these roads have yet a large surplus of corn and some
cattle; comparatively few a surplus of bacon. The counties to be
excepted as having now no grain surplus may be roughly stated as
those near the first fifty miles from Savannah, on the Central
railroad, and near the first 100 miles of the Savannah, Albany, and
Gulf Railroad, say nearly to the Alapaha River, and I may remark
that their cattle are too poor and dispersed through the swamps to
be available for some time yet. Of all the counties it may be said
that the difficulties of local transportation are great. The
planters are generally unable to carry their produce to the depots,
and the railroads (particularly Savannah, Albany, and Gulf Railroad)
are too deficient in rolling-stock to remove supplies as received.
Notwithstanding the preference given by all these railroads to
Government freight, the unfortunate management and competition of
purchasing agents, specially in Southwestern Georgia, have increased
the price of corn and threaten to entail great and needless expense
upon the Government. It would seem expedient to reserve for the
maintenance of General Beauregard's command at least the country
drained by the Savannah, Albany, and Gulf Railroad, and to remove
its produce to safe depots. The Savannah, Albany, and Gulf Railroad
reaches within twenty-two miles of the town of Monticello, in Middle
Florida, on the Great Florida Railroad {the
Pensacola & Georgia RR}, running east and west through
that State. Should a connection be formed between the Savannah,
Albany, and Gulf Railroad and this Florida road, it would open to
your uses the large supplies in corn and live stock (also valuable
bacon, sugar, and sirup) now comparatively shut up in Middle Florida
and the upper and central portions of the peninsula. The crops there
have been good, and the supply will be most important in view of the
heavy calls now being made on Southwestern Georgia and the very
limited resources of the Georgia seaboard. Indeed, it is to Florida
only that we here can look for commissary stores when our present
sources become exhausted. I suggest a connection from Monticello to
Quitman, or some point near it on the Savannah, Albany, and Gulf
Railroad, because I believe it the only practicable line under
present circumstances, and one likely to accomplish the results
desired. There are iron rails enough to spare in Georgia and
Florida, timber on the spot, and no difficult obstacles to encounter
on the line. Spikes may be scarce, but I think enough could be got.
With proper energy it could be completed before the middle of next
summer. I have indicated this connection on the map by a dotted red
line. I would mention the great requirement of an effective
arrangement of quartermaster's wagon trains, by which the produce
may be carried from the plantations to the railroad depots. Very
soon planters will need all their animals for plowing. Any details
on these subjects desired by the commanding general will be
collected and furnished (if possible) with pleasure. |
| I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant, |
| Henry Bryan |
| Major and Assistant Inspector-General |
|