Columbus, Ga., August 8, 1864
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| Hon. J. A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
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| Sir, |
| You will perceive by the inclosed
resolution that the undersigned have been appointed a committee to
correspond with you upon the subject embraced in the resolution. We
have the honor to call your attention to the matter, and beg leave
to submit the following explanations to your consideration:
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| First. The grading of the road is nearly
completed, and may be put in order for the road bed with the labor
of 500 hands in less than sixty days. It runs through a rich and
populous county, where there are a large number of slaves whose
labor could be contracted by the Government without serious loss or
inconvenience to their owners at this season of the year.
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| Second. The iron could be readily obtained by
the Government by impressing the rails of certain roads which are of
little public importance and of no value to the Government at this
time, viz, the road from Milledgeville to Eatonton {a
branch of the Central Railroad of Georgia}, twenty-two miles,
and the branch road from Union Point to Athens
{a branch of the Georgia Railroad}, about twenty miles. These
roads belong to the richest corporations in the South, and they
could well afford to give up these short roads for a great public
benefit.
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| Third. The early completion of the road in
question would be of very great importance to the Government, and
is, in fact, a matter at the present of military necessity. The only
channel of communication at present between Montgomery and the east
embraces the Montgomery and West Point road, whose gauge is
different from all the other roads connecting with it, and, of
course, in times of pressing necessity could not be aided by the
rolling-stock of other roads. Its capacity is too limited for the
purposes of the Government, and it is at all times much more liable
to be destroyed by the raiding parties of the enemy than the road
from Montgomery to Union Springs and thence to Columbus. Witness the
late destruction of over twenty-five miles of it by Rosecrans' [Stoneman's?]
party and the serious inconvenience now experienced by the
Government on account of it.
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| Fourth. The Montgomery and Eufaula road
connects at Union Springs with the Mobile and Girard road, and is of
the same grade, and which can and will be connected with the
Muscogee road at this place, and thus form a continuous chain from
Montgomery to Macon, the distance from Montgomery to Columbus via
Union Springs being less than 100 miles. The inclosed letter from
the secretary of the Montgomery and Eufaula road expresses the
readiness of the company to co-operate with the Government in the
proposed completion of their road. We agree with the opinion of the
late meeting of the stockholders of the Mobile and Girard road that
this matter is one of great importance to the Government, and we
invite the serious attention of the War Department to it. We would
suggest that, if any doubt be entertained by the authorities at
Richmond as to the policy or necessity or the practicability of the
measure, that a special agent be sent out to examine into it and
report to the Department the facts and merits of the proposition.
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| We are, respectfully, your obedient servants |
| Alfred Iverson |
| Homer Blackman |
| J. L. Mustian |
| Thos. H. Dawson |
| Committee |
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| [First indorsement] |
| August 23, 1864 |
| To Engineer Bureau for consideration. |
| J. A. S. |
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| [Second indorsement] |
| Engineer Bureau
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| September 14, 1864 |
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| Respectfully returned to the Honorable
Secretary of War.
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| A letter was promptly written to Hon. Alfred
Iverson stating that the views expressed by himself and others in
relation to the Union Springs and Montgomery Railroad connection
were being duly considered, but that it was feared that the pressing
need for all available railroad iron to be used on main trunk lines
in repairs would prevent this Bureau from recommending favorable
action.
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| J. F. Gilmer |
| Major-General and Chief of Bureau |
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| [Inclosure No. 1] |
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"Whereas, we consider the speedy completion of the road from
Union Springs to Montgomery, now nearly completed, as of vital
importance to the country, especially whilst the war continues, in
the transportation of troops and army supplies, and which no other
preset channel of conveyance can furnish; and whereas, the grading
of said road is now nearly completed, and with proper efforts might
be finished in sixty days at the farthest; and whereas, it is now
impracticable for the company to procure the iron necessary for the
road, and that article can only be supplied to the Confederate
States: It is therefore
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Resolved, That a
committee be appointed to open a correspondence both with the
directors of said road and with the Confederate Government to urge
such measures as may be required to accomplish the above important
object."
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| The above was passed at a meeting of the
stockholders of the Mobile and Girard Railroad Company held July 6,
1864. The committee appointed above are Hon. Alfred Iverson, Col.
Homer Blackman, J. L. Mustian, esq., Thomas H. Dawson.
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| [Inclosure No. 2] |
| Montgomery, Ala., August 4, 1864 |
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| Messrs. A. Iverson, T. H. Dawson, H. Blackman, and J.
L. Mustian |
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| Gentlemen: Our president, Col. L. Owen, was
absent on the receipt of your communication of the 15th of July,
ultimo and the proceedings of the stockholders of the {Mobile
&} Girard Railroad Company, and has requested me to reply
and acknowledge the receipt of your esteemed communication. There
could not be at the time a meeting of the board of directors on
account of absence of some. But our president and others have had an
interview with General Bragg, recently here, and also with General
Maury, in command here, and each concurs in great necessity of
immediately building the road by the Government, and I understand
have so advised the Government at Richmond, and we would
respectfully return our thanks for the interest you have taken in
this matter, and hope we will continue to receive your sympathy and
aid should the Government undertake the building of the road. |
| Yours, with respect |
| Jos. D. Noppers |
| Secretary Montgomery & Eufaula Railroad |
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