OR, Series 4, Vol. 1, Page 240

Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac R. R. Co.
President's Office
Richmond, Va., April 25, 1861
 
Major-General Lee
 
Sir,
  Having had some eight years' experience in the management of railroads, and having recently some acquaintance with their use for State defense, and reflected upon it, I beg leave respectfully to submit to you the inclosed suggestions, which may have, to some degree, been overlooked by others less familiar with the subject or more preoccupied with other public duties. I would further suggest that a printed circular letter embodying these suggestions, emanating from you or the Governor, and addressed privately to the presidents and superintendents of our railroads, might be the most useful mode of giving them effect. Should they contribute in any degree to the safety and honor of the Commonwealth I shall be much gratified. To the seventh and last paragraph permit me to ask your special attention. At this time there are engines and trains run on this road by the military authorities between Fredericksburg and the Potomac River with very unnecessary frequency, wearing out our engines (which should, especially now, when others cannot be procured, be carefully husbanded), and preventing the carriage by the usual trains of the wood which is necessary for the engines, and which is rapidly being consumed, where it is most necessary to keep a supply. But far more than all these considerations, the hourly danger of collisions and a consequent disabling of the engines and road requires the cessation of this practice, which no doubt is continued from the want of appreciation of its evil consequences only.
I remain, with great respect, your obedient servant
P. V. Daniel, Jr.
President Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac R. R. Co.
[Inclosure]
  To make the railroads of this State most effective aids in the public defense, and to prevent their being equally effective means of invasion and attack to its enemies, the following precautions are necessary:
  First. Every engine and car, whether for freight or passengers, not absolutely needed for immediate use, should be at once removed from any terminus or other point on each railroad which by any possibility may be suddenly invaded by the enemy to some other point or points on the road where they will be secure from capture and most available to the State.
  Second. At every such point there should be kept a locomotive engine always, night and day, fired up, and with a full supply of wood and water, and an engineer and fireman ready at a minute's warning to run over the road and give warning of the enemy's approach. Should this engine be compelled to leave its station at any time, for however short an interval of time, another should be ready to take her place. For the same purposes the road should be fully supplied with light pole-cars at short and convenient distances along its length. These are lighter and more easily operated than hand-cars, which are also useful. Tar barrels or other materials for beacon fires might also be advantageously placed at convenient stations on the road, to give warning to the neighborhoods, to be fired only by the subaltern officers of the Army or of the railroad when ordered.
  Third. Every bridge and important culvert on the road should be guarded day and night by at least two well-armed watchmen, to protect them from being fired or blown up or otherwise injured by emissaries of the enemy. These watchmen should also be furnished with means of obstructing or breaking up the track at a short distance from their bridge or culvert when they have received orders to do so through the alarm engine or pole-car, so as to give them time, after the enemy is certainly and actually near at hand, to destroy or weaken, by burning, blowing up, or sawing timbers, their bridge or culvert, under orders of their superior railroad officer or of the military commander for the district. But without such order no injury should in any event be done, or permitted to be done, by such watchmen to any such bridge or culvert. Any disregard of this last regulation might be most disastrous to the State and should be severely punished. There is great danger of such disaster from the violence of excited or panic-stricken persons or bodies of men, and a strong guard may be needed to prevent it.
  Fourth. Engineers and machinists should be instructed on the certain, but only on the certain, and near approach of an overpowering force of the enemy to remove and carry away or effectually conceal the main connecting rods of their engines, whether on the road or in any engine-house or workshop, thus thoroughly and to the enemy irreparably disabling, without permanently injuring, the engines.
  Fifth. All burden, box, or house cars should at once have cleats of wood, fastened at suitable heights and distances to their inner sides, with strong planks, cut to the exact inner width of the car, to place on them as seats for troops, when more are to be transported than can be carried in the passenger-cars. When not used for this purpose these planks should be laid flat on the floor of the car, so as at once to be in place when needed, and when not needed to leave it free to be used for freight.
  Sixth. Every railroad company should at once strengthen all its open flat-cars, and, as far as it can conveniently do so, build others of the strongest practicable pattern and material, for the transportation of heavy ordnance.
  Seventh. Safety to lives and the protection both of trains and roads from destruction by collisions make it imperatively necessary that all trains should be regulated in their speed and movements by no one except the conductors or engineers of such trains, in accordance with the regulations and time-tables of the company. Disregard of this regulation will inevitably result in collisions, with all their consequent injuries to persons, to the road, and to the State, and obstruction and privation of the use of the road and machinery for an indefinite period of time. It cannot be too rigorously observed and enforced.
[Indorsement]
The within suggestions to be embodied in circular to president of every railroad.
R. E. L.

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