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Augusta Feb 8 65
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| His Excellency |
| Joseph E Brown |
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| Sir, |
| I would not give a pipe of tobacco for all
the QM & Comms here, except ??oin, & yet they are clever,
& so far as I know very correct men. It takes them weeks to do
what should be done in a few days. With the few cars I have here every
particle of state stores could have been in Madison then days ago, for
one week the cars stood idle, expecting them to be called for &
loaded every day. Now when a panic prevails * could make from 30 to 50
thousand pr day. Salt, meat, Flour &c has to be taken up. I might
however be defeated in this. Genl Hill had ordered our engines &
carts taken for Confd. Gov use & one tr unloaded that was hauling
for Capt Grant, in rebuilding Geo R. I say the Genl early on Sunday
morning, & got an order that our stock be released unless it was
found to be taking on board for transportation "private
property," thus denying my right to haul cotton or any other
private property. I thought the W&A RR & its stock, built by,
& ordered by the state, was an integral part f her Sovereignty on
which no state, or the Confd Gov. could lay its hands. It is certainly
a novel kind of Sovereignty if a Confederate officer can prescribe on
what conditions the Sovereignty shall exercise its powers. On
yesterday I could have got one third of a lot of Sea Island cotton for
hauling off the other 2/3, but was notified it would be thrown off the
cars, & the cars & engine pressed. So I am powerless to make
money for the Road. Most of our stock is now on our Sidings at
Rutledge {on the Georgia RR}
& I shall go up as soon as I get the Salt & other state stores
away, if however the Conf Govt gets its stores away & the Yanks do
not get here for some time, I may yet have a chance to make something.
Mr High is back from Wilmington. When he left but little cotton had
been removed, but with the additional trains all could soon be run
off, as most of it was over the River. When I understood negotiations
were going on with Gov Vance, & other parties, I thought it bad
policy to make the exchange but and not presume to interfere as I had
no right to do so. The exchange was to be, for Cotton in Augusta &
Montgomery as I understood it, & I telegraphed Maj Hillyer, it
should not be done without your sanction, as I thought cotton in ???
compressed was as safe, & more valuable than cotton uncompressed,
in Augt or Montgomery. But Mr High thinks the exchange should have
been made, as the cotton in Geo. was in the country near Macon, &
not much in Montgomery & especially as cotton taken into the
interior is very unsafe. He thins another portion of it should have
been sold as it could have been made pa??? cost &c. I have no
doubt but by tomorrow night all will be gone from W., somewhere to a
place of comparative safety. Wherever it may be sent I directed Wing
to stay with it, as I was satisfied he would be cut off by dong so he
may have both trains & cotton. The SC Road is cut at Blackwell 50
or 55 miles from this & the enemy moving as if their object was
Columbia. It is plain they can go where they please as we are too
feeble to check them. The peace effort has failed just where, &
as, I thought it would yet it was a movement in the right direction.
We can all now see what is before us. War to extermination, or
independence. I prefer the first to vassalage. Although to some extent
over run, we are not whipd, & if we are, it will be by ourselves.
The most alarming question to me is bread. With that and the evidence
before us of what the enemy intends, subjugation is impossible. I have
been compelled to dismiss & furlough twenty odd hands, & shall
have to lengthen the list. They must scatter over the country or go
into the army to get subsistence. The road cannot feed them, or retain
one that is not absolutely needed. When at Griswold & 3 1/2 they
could earn a support. I had work for them, but now I have not. Should
I make the question, if W&A RR stock is subject to impressment or
not, or should I let the gilt button gentry have their way, &
submit both. |
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Yrs truly
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| Geo D Phillips {Superintendent,
Western & Atlantic RR} |
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