| Adjutant General Department |
| Rail Road Bureau C. S. A. |
| Head Quarters Augusta Ga Apl 8, 1863 |
| |
| To His Excellency |
| the Governor of Georgia |
| Milledgeville Ga |
| |
| Sir, |
| I beg leave herewith to
enclose you a copy of a letter to the Q. M. G. of Tenn in reference to
the transportation of salt from Saltville Va. The inauguration of the
best possible system is important and prompts to ask you to call a
conference with the principal roads to aid in this matter. If my plan
meets your approval I respectfully suggest that you appoint a suitable
person to represent the state, and ask a representative from the roads
in your State that you think will be able to aid in this important
movement. I suggest the 28th as the time of meeting in order that the
work of transportation be commenced as early as possible |
| I am Sir Very respectfully |
| Your obdt Servant |
| Wm. M. Wadley A. A. G. |
| per F. W. Sims |
| Adjutant Generals Department |
| Rail Road Bureau C. S. A. |
| Hd Qtrs. Augusta Ga. April 5th 1863 |
| Col. Ira P. Jones |
| Q. M. G. Tenn |
| Chattanooga |
| |
| Colonel, |
| On my return yesterday from
the West I received your favor Mch 1st in reference to running special
trains to Saltville. I recognize the necessity for our people to have
a Salt and no one is more willing than I am to facilitate
transportation. The question as to how this can be the the most
effectively done is an important one and upon the decision will depend
in a great measure the quantity of salt that is moved. In my judgment
the movement of salt from Saltville, as in fact the movement of
freight in every part of the Country, can be best accomplished by
distributing the rolling stock of all the roads in the country as to
enable each to do its own work. To illustrate my idea, su-pose that
the production of salt at Saltville to be as you mention, say 12,000
bu daily and that it is all to be moved. I would first give to the Va
& Tenn road sufficient stock to move it from the works, landing
that for the South and West at Bristol and the balance along its line
& at Lynchburg. Then East Tenn & Va road should be supplied
with sufficient stock to move it all from Bristol landing it along its
line & at Knoxville, and the same provisions for roads south and
west. In this way each road would do its own work without clashing of
interest and the stock of all would as a general rule be fully loaded
each way. |
| Now we will suppose that the
same amt. of salt is to be moved by special trains from connecting
roads, for if one concedes that it is an advantage for and to run such
trains it is equally so for all. What will be the result? There are I
think 21 or 22 roads that might run trains to the salt works in Va
& if all were to claim the same privilege it would most certainly
cause utter confusion. Many of the men would necessarily be entire
strangely to the roads over which they have to pass and accidents
would be the inevitable result. On some roads owing to different
grades the engines would be fully loaded, while on others not more
than half a train would be attached, and in one direction over much of
the distance, the cars would be entirely empty. |
| I think I have said enough to
enable you to judge which of the two plans is preferable and I beg of
you to bear in mind the necessity of one or the other for the movement
of the amt of salt you estimate will be made is a work of such
magnitude as to admit of no temporizing. Some plan must be adopted and
adhered to in order to accomplish the object. In order to secure, if
possible, harmony and co-operation on the part of all interested I
propose to send a copy of this letter to the Governors of States, that
will probably procure salt from Saltville, and ask them to call a
conference at this place on the 28th inst. of a representation from
each State and of the principal roads interested with a view of
determining some fixed plan for its distribution. |
| Trusting that this will meet
with your approbation |
| I remain Colonel |
| Very respectfully |
| Your obdt servant |
| Wm M Wadley A. A. G. |
|