April 22{, 1862}
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| To His Excellency Jefferson Davis |
| President of the Confederate States |
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| Dear Sir, |
| About nine miles from
this City on this railroad there is the junction with a branch
railroad {the Hungary branch of the Richmond,
Frederick & Potomac} extending three miles from that
point to some coal mines. The mines, and the railroad leading to
them, was the property of a Northern joint stock company. This
property under the Sequestration Acts of Congress has been by the
Receiver of the Court advertised for sale on next Thursday
the 24th inst. This railroad company and several railroad companies
south of this desire to purchase the rails of this branch road,
which are of the same size and pattern with their own, and nearly
new, and without which it will be literally and physically
impossible to keep up much longer their roads, even for the
exclusive military purposes of the Government who have so entirely
monopolized all manufactories of iron, as utterly to exclude the
railroad companies from every resource for supplying themselves with
rails for daily and necessary repairs. From one twelfth to one tenth
of every railroad must absolutely be renewed every year; and
for want of the rails, it is much to be feared, that many may cease
in six months and many more in twelve months to be capable of use.
Not a few are scarcely so now. To take therefore from any of these
companies rails essential to their use and convenience new,
readymade, and accessible to them over roads to their roads, when all
their machinery is already employed carrying military supplies
to a foundry carrying ??veites by a new proap?? of manufacture to be
converted to other Government use, seems to be a policy opposed by
every consideration of economy and safety. Yet I have just learned
this morning that by order of some department of the Government, I
suppose the Navy Department, the rails on this branch line are to be
immediately taken and hauled in wagons, (of which the
Quartermaster's Department can not get half enough for its army
purposes) or on this railroad, on which already the urgent
army transportation exceeds its capacities, so that it will be impossible
to transport this iron without the most serious perhaps disastrous
interruption to the movement of troops and military stores. Besides
this, from recent experience in taking up rails near Acquia Creek,
(now lost to us by the retreat of our troops on less than half an
hour's notice to us from Fredericksburg, where it was left in order
to do Army transportation,) I have reason to know that the removal
of these rails from the track will be a work of much labor active to
a considerable force of men. |
| In view of all these facts, so
necessary to the operations of our Army, I therefore respectfully
ask your consideration of this matter, and your prompt interposition
in what may be an irreparable loss for the immediate
execution of which I learn the order has already been given. |
| I am with the highest respect |
| Your obt. Servant |
| P. V. Daniel, Jr. President |
| R. F. & P. R. R. Co. {Richmond,
Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad} |
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