Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac R. R. Co.
| President's Office |
| Richmond, Va., April 23, 1863 |
| |
| Hon. James A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| Apprehending that the estimate made in the paper
which I had the honor to leave with you yesterday may seem an
exaggerated one of the quantity of iron rails now urgently needed
for the maintenance in use of the railroads of the Confederate
States needed for the operations of its armies, I have thought it
proper that the facts on which that estimate is made should be known
to you. A careful examination of the statistics of railroads in the
Confederacy, as given in the most approved maps, guides, and other
publications, disclosed the fact that those railroads, exclusive of
those now in the possession of the enemy or which might not be
needed, amounted in length to not less than 6,300 miles. But
assuming that only 5,500 miles of these roads would be necessary to
the military movements of the Government, these would have in their
main tracks (exclusive of side tracks, on which old rails may be
used) 495,000 tons of rails, computing them at 90 tons to the mile {using
57#per yard rails} -- the average
weight of rails on Southern railroads. In ordinary times and with
the ordinary use and opportunities in peace of repairing roadways
and machinery experience forbids any reliance on the duration of
rails for a longer period than from ten to fifteen years, and with
the wear and use of them resulting from the overwhelming amount of
army transportation and the diversion to them of all freights
heretofore carried by water transportation, without opportunity or
materials for repairs of roadways and machinery, their duration for
ten years is the most that can be reasonably relied on: and when it
is remembered that the rails have been laid or relaid on none of
these roads less than three and on many not less than twelve and
fifteen years since, it is but reasonable to calculate on the
necessity of renewing during this and each successive year one-tenth
of the length of all these railroads, requiring per annum one-tenth
of the 495,000 tons of rails used in them, or 49,500 tons annually,
or 4,125 tons monthly, being 1,500 tons more yearly or 125 tons more
monthly than was estimated on the paper referred to. |
| It may be said that no
sufficient allowance is here made for the rails to be taken from
roads of no or of minor military importance to the Confederacy; but
it will be observed that this calculation is based on supplying 800
miles less of railroads than are believed to be necessary to the
military operations of the Government, which 800 miles would require
annually 80 miles or 7,200 tons more of rails to keep them in use.
Experience, too, has practically demonstrated the great difficulties
attending this resource for supplying rails. They must be often
taken up in the vicinity of the enemy, who will of course prevent it
if possible, and generally by soldiers unskilled in a work more
difficult to the skillful than laying down the track, who rebel
against such employment and will not be coerced by elective officers
of a volunteer army. Before the battle of Fredericksburg General
Lee's army, with all the aid the railroad company could give him,
was occupied more than two weeks removing four miles of rails. It
remains, then, that not less than 49,500 tons of rails annually, or
4,125 monthly, are needed, and urgently needed now, to the
maintenance of the railroads of the Confederacy. Whence are they to
be supplied? The railroad convention reply from one rolling-mill at
Atlanta, now engrossed in Government work, and from the Tredegar
Works here, now also equally engrossed with other Government work.
There are none other in the Confederacy {there
were other rolling mills in the South -- at Etowah, for example --
but none of them had ever made rails and would not have made any
significant difference in Mr. Daniel's argument},
and the efforts of railroad interests during the past two years have
wholly failed to induce private capital to erect any others. No one
has claimed for the Atlanta mill a capacity for making more than
10,000 to 12,000 tons of rails per annum, even when making nothing
else. There is reason to believe this an extravagant estimate. One
of the proprietors of the Tredegar Works informed me only last
Monday that their two mills have never been able to make more than
8,000 tons per annum {and I believe
these were strap rail, not U or T-rail}.
Here, then, is a provision proposed for at the utmost less than half
the quantity absolutely needed, assuming the relinquishment by
Government of all other work to be done by either of these
establishments. Nor can it be wise or safe to place the Government
and all the railroads of the country at the mercy of one or two
factories, whose pecuniary interests will prompt them to promise and
perhaps attempt far more than they can accomplish, if thereby they
only succeed in keeping down competition of other factories or
sources of supply, and who, after extorting for their productions
any price they may choose to exact, will leave the country without
remedy for their failure to supply its necessities. On this point
past experience has furnished many most impressive lessons. |
| With highest respect, your
obedient servant, |
| P. V. Daniel, Jr. |
| President |
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