Rome, Ga., October 25, 1862
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| Mr. Jefferson Davis |
| President, etc. |
| |
| Honored Sir, |
| Inclosed I send you a copy of the
resolutions of our Board of Directors touching the appropriation
made by Congress for the completion of our road. We are anxious to
avail ourselves of the means offered, and therefore write you to
obtain that information which I trust will remove from my mind the
serious difficulties which now appear to me so formidable. If the
completion of the road from Rome{, Ga.}
to Blue Mountain{, Ala.} be a military
necessity, then its speedy completion is of paramount importance.
Time is really the essence of the matter, and doubtless you agree
with us that if we cannot foresee any reasonable prospect of
procuring the iron rails it will be useless for us to employ the
Government means in finishing the grading, superstruction, etc. You
are aware of the many obstacles which may render our efforts
fruitless in obtaining iron rails, spikes, chairs, etc., by the
usual modes of purchase, and unless that authority which has
declared the road to be a military necessity also declares that iron
shall be furnished I know not how to proceed. Our earnest desire is
to build our portion of this road at once, viz, from Rome to the
State line of Alabama, which is about 22 miles. We feel confident we
can have it ready for the iron in ninety days from the time the work
is commenced, as all the heavy grading and principal bridging is
finished. Our company has already expended upon the road about
$85,000; of that amount we now owe between $30,000 and $35,000 on
contracts and loans. After paying the latter we will freely merge
the work already done into the mortgage deed and thereby enhance the
Government security at least $50,000. At present prices of material
and labor this additional security would amount to a much larger
sum, and we can assure you that the means used so far have been
judiciously expended. Will you, sir, please advise us at once and
say whether you can give us the requisite aid for procuring iron,
etc., by impressment or otherwise, and also communicate any other
information your superior judgment may deem of advantage.
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| Very respectfully, your obedient servant
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| Alfred Shorter |
| President Georgia & Alabama Railroad |
| |
| [First indorsement] |
| Secretary of War for reply. |
| J. D. |
| |
| [Second indorsement] |
| November 6, 1862 |
| Engineer Bureau for reply. |
| Inform them that the road is considered highly
important, and that the Government will exert its utmost powers in
procuring iron. |
| G. W. R. |
| |
| [Third indorsement] |
| December 2, 1862 |
| |
| Respectfully returned to the files of the
Honorable Secretary of War, an answer having been sent to Mr.
Shorter and a copy of the letter, with its inclosure, forwarded to
Capt. L. P. Grant, engineer in charge of the Rome and Blue Mountain
Railroad.
|
| A. L. Rives |
| Major and Assistant to Chief Engineer |
| |
| [Inclosure] |
| Rome, October 20, 1862 |
| |
| Resolutions |
| Whereas, it is highly important that the
projected railroad between Rome, in Georgia, and Blue Mountain, in
Alabama, should be speedily built, it is therefore
|
| Resolved, That we avail ourselves at
once of the proffered loan by the Congress of the Confederate
States, and to this lend we hereby accept the provisions of the act
entitled "An act to enable the President of the Confederate
States to provide for the means of military transportation by
constructing a railroad between Blue Mountain, in the State of
Alabama, and Rome, in the State of Georgia," approved October
[2], 1862. And we do authorize and empower the president of this
company, by himself, his agent, or attorney, to execute and deliver
to the President of the Confederate States the mortgage security
required by said act.
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| And whereas, this company has already expended
of their own means upon said road, in bridging, masonry, and
grading, the sum of $-----, and to that extent increasing the corpus
of the property to be mortgaged, our president is instructed to have
such saving clause embodied in said mortgage as will limit the lien
and liability to the road and its equipments and the public property
of the company. The individual property of the stockholders should
not be liable for the redemption of said mortgage, but the president
of this company is hereby authorized to tender to the President of
the Confederate States a bond, with the most ample personal
security, for the faithful application of the money and the diligent
prosecution of the work.
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| Resolved further, That in consideration
of the high price of materials and the embarrassment thrown around
the procurement of iron rails by the pressure of Government
contracts upon manufacturers, we do earnestly request the President
of the Confederate States to appoint a military director over said
line of railroad with proper power and discretion to impress iron
and materials, provided they can be obtained in no other way, or in
case the owners of such iron demand most unreasonable and exorbitant
rates.
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| I certify the above and foregoing is a true
copy from the record of minutes of the Board of Directors of the
Georgia and Alabama Railroad Company.
|
| Chas. H. Smith |
| Secretary pro tem |
|