|
Hardeeville 19th Ap'l 1862
|
| |
| Brig Gen T. F. Drayton |
| Comd'g 6th Milt'y Dist |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have the honor to report that in
obedience to your orders of 14th Inst I proceeded to Charleston, and
made immediate application to Mr Ravenel for 80 Tons of the Rail Road
Iron belonging to Macon & Warrenton R. R. {Milledgeville
RR} of Georgia in his care as Warehouseman. In answer to my
application I learned that this Iron had just been seized by Capt D.
N. Ingrham in behalf of the Navy Dep'm't. Capt Ingraham telegraphed to
Secretary Mallory for permission to turn over to me the require
quantity, but to this Despatch an answer was received in the negative.
Having been informed by Capt Ingraham that there was Iron held in
Georgia by the following Roads, viz: |
| 1100 |
Tons |
New |
State Road {Western &
Atlantic RR}, Atlanta |
| 800 |
" |
" |
Macon & Western |
| 350 |
" |
Old |
Central {(of Georgia)} R.
R. |
| 300 |
" |
" |
Georgia R. R. |
| 300 |
" |
" |
State Road |
| 200 |
" |
" |
Atlanta & West Point & South Western R.
R. |
| 300 |
Tons |
Old |
R. Roads at Columbus |
|
| I telegraphed to you for instructions as
to my movements and was directed to proceed to Atlanta. On arriving at
Augusta I was unexpectedly delayed and finding that the Macon &
Warrenton R. R. had a large quantity of Iron there, concluded it would
be better to try to obtain it from Judge King, the President of that
Company. |
| In my application to Judge King, I met
with an unexpected refusal, as Judge King declines giving up any of
the Iron now in Augusta, will contest all efforts to remove it from
his possession and claims a trial of the question by law. In justice
to Judge K. I must state that he represents the completion of the M.
& W. R. R. as of the greatest importance to the Confederacy and
that he is making strenuous efforts to obtain the release of what the
Navy Dep'm't has seized, as with it, his supply is just sufficient to
complete his line; he suggests a proportionate contribution from the
other Rail Roads interested {this must be a
connection of the 3 railroads meeting in Augusta}, and will
furnish one fourth of the Rails necessary, if the Central RR of Ga,
the Augusta & Savannah, and the So Ca R. R. will do the same. I
desire merely to add that I have procured and shipped a sufficient
supply of spikes for the contemplated connection, a distance I am
informed of 200 feet less than 5/8 of a mile {3100
feet for each rail}. |
| I have the honor to be |
| Very Respectfully |
| J. I. Middleton Jr |
| A. D. C. |
|