C. S. Quartermaster's Dept., Railroad Bureau
| Richmond, August 16, 1864 |
| |
| General Lawton |
| Quartermaster-General |
| |
| General, |
| Inclosed I have the honor to return you the
papers relative to a reduction of employees on the North Carolina
Railroad to the number required by law; and in reply have to say
that such a step, in my opinion, would result in embarrassment to
the transportation of supplies over this road. The demands of this
road for labor have been always excessive and no doubt are so in
this instance, but from my information as to the actual wants of a
railroad doing so much work as the North Carolina company, I am
satisfied that it is impossible to operate and keep it up with the
one man per mile allowed by law. The worst feature in reducing the
force upon a railroad is that the deterioration consequent upon such
a step is so gradual that it is scarcely perceived before the injury
is very serious, and to restore a badly worn road to good condition
with the present difficulties is a most difficult matter. |
| In consequence of a reduction of force on the
North Carolina road it became in the fall of 1862 and spring of 1863
nearly impassable, but the efforts of the superintendent, aided by
all that you could do for him, have resulted in making it one of the
best roads in the Confederacy. You surely cannot have forgotten,
general, the frequent and anxious conferences had in regard to this
very road, and it is proper to say that its present efficient
condition is due to the liberal details secured through you and
rendered necessary by its then deplorable condition. It seems very
hard that when our efforts are meeting with success that the policy
which dictated the efforts is to be totally ignored.
|
| I can refer you for a similar case with
similar results to the South Carolina Railroad. We have fostered it
and encouraged it until its condition is vastly improved, but if
this law is enforced depreciation cannot be avoided. You know how
intense was your anxiety in regard to it and how every means was
exhausted to supply it with men and material. How discouraging it is
now, just as it has gotten on rising ground, to restrict its
facilities.
|
| The condition of every railroad in the
Confederacy is affected by this law and if it is enforced many of
them will suffer. It is a mistake to suppose that "other
roads," entitled to not half so many exemptions, in more
exposed situations, and as busily engaged in Government
transportation, were successfully operated without calling for
"details." Their trains run, it is true, but labor is
needed by all and sooner or later must be given. It was a
short-sighted policy that run the road's machinery down, and we were
just recovering from the effects of it when the present law was
passed. No lesson seems to have been learned by experience. |
| In the regulations carrying out the late law
the subject of details is left entirely with the Bureau of
Conscription. If the execution of the law is paramount to every
other consideration, then applications are useless; but if it is
thought that keeping up the railroads is a matter of sufficient
moment to allow all consistent advantages to them, the application
is worthy of very grave attention. But before any decision is given
the wants of the road should be specifically stated. It is not in
the correspondence.
|
| I am, general, very respectfully, etc. |
| F. W. Sims |
| Lieutenant-Colonel, etc. |
| |
| [First indorsement] |
| Quartermaster-General's Office |
| August 20, 1864 |
| |
| The within papers are respectfully submitted
to Honorable Secretary of War, with the earnest request that the
Bureau of Conscription be instructed to allow to this road all the
details applied for. They are believed to be absolutely essential to
the efficiency of a road upon which we rely very much for all our
supplies.
|
| A. R. Lawton |
| Quartermaster-General |
| |
| [Second indorsement] |
| August 22, 1864 |
| |
| Quartermaster-General |
| |
| It is evident, I think, that the claim for
details on this road are exorbitant. Whether the number should be
reduced to the number allowed by law is more doubtful; there should
certainly be a reduction, but there is not evidence afforded of the
extent. You had probably better direct an officer capable of
judging, yet not committed to consider primarily the railroad
interests, to examine and report on this point.
|
| J. A. S. |
| |
| [Inclosure] |
| Office North Carolina Railroad Company |
| Vance, June 28, 1864 |
| |
| Col. Peter Mallett |
| Commanding Conscripts, Raleigh, N. C. |
| |
| Dear Sir: In reply to your letter of last
week, covering a copy of the decision of Colonel Preston in relation
to the large force we have on our road, I have nothing further to
add to the facts and suggestions heretofore made to you, to the
Bureau of Conscription, and the Secretary of War. If the Government
can dispense with a large part of the transportation afforded by
this road, then we will not need so many hands; but if it is
desirable to have it worked to its full capacity, then we can spare
none of them. The Government can take its choice--either have the
men and let the road and Army suffer, or leave the men alone and let
the road be worked as advantageously as possible. As soon as you
take the men I must stop all other trains from running on this road.
There are now six foreign trains at work here. We can barely keep
enough wood on the road from day to day. We cannot do with less men
than we now have. Take those we have and I know not where to supply
their places, even so far as labor is concerned. Those who get wood
off their own land are doubly valuable to us, for they furnish not
only wood, which otherwise we cannot obtain, but the labor also.
|
| Will you please refer this letter to the chief
of the Bureau, that he may confer with the Quartermaster-General.
|
| Very respectfully |
| Thomas Webb |
| President |
| |
| [First indorsement] |
| Conscript Office |
| Raleigh, N. C., June 29, 1864 |
| |
| Respectfully forwarded to the Bureau of
Conscription for instructions. |
| Peter Mallett |
| Colonel, Commanding Conscripts, North Carolina |
| |
| [Second indorsement] |
| Bureau of Conscription |
| Richmond, August 5, 1864 |
| |
| Respectfully referred to the Secretary of War. |
| This communication is in reply to an
indorsement on the report of an inspection of this road, which
developed the fact that the number of employees liable to
conscription was largely in excess of the number of exemptions
authorized by law. It is considered that the number of exempts
allowed was sufficiently large to include all whose services were
indispensable because of mechanical or scientific skill, business
experience, capacity, etc., and that what other labor was required
it should be procured from other sources, and the commandant of
conscripts was directed so to inform the officers of this road, that
efforts should at once be made to make the changes indicated. It was
observed that other roads entitled to not half so many exemptions,
in more exposed situations, and as busily engaged in Government
transportation, were successfully operated without calling for
details, and no reason was perceived why an exception in favor of
this one should be made, traversing, as it does, a fertile and large
slave-holding region. It was not proposed to insist on a violent
change, but that the reduction should be as gradual as circumstances
permitted, while assurances were given that diligent and bona
fide efforts were being made to effect other arrangements. The
statements in this communication render arbitrary action necessary,
but before adopting such a course the action proposed is submitted
for approval. It is proposed to make a reduction of one-fourth at
the end of thirty days and of one-eighth at the end of every
succeeding fifteen days until the number of employees is confined
within the limits recognized by law.
|
| T. P. August |
| Colonel and Acting Superintendent |
|