| Annual Report of the Richmond,
Fredericksburg & Potomac RR |
| as of October 1, 1865, |
| President's Report |
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| Thirty-Third Annual Report |
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| Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac
Railroad |
| President's Office |
| Richmond, Nov. 14th, 1864 {should
be 1865} |
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The Board of Directors herewith submit to the Stockholders
the customary tabular statements, showing the condition of this Company on the 30th of
September 1865, and its operations during the year
ending on that day.
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These statements show, that the income of the Company
during the six months ending the 31st of March, 1865, was $585,663.90;
while its expenses during the same period, were $484,785.84, leaving a
nett revenue of $100,878.06, all in Confederate States currency, the
only currency then in use. That the income earned during the
succeeding six months in United States currency has only about equaled
the expenses of the same period -- the income amounting to $69,441.97,
and the expenses to $69,531.05 -- unavoidably resulted from the
following facts:
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Early in March 1865, the four principal bridges on this
Road South of Fredericksburg and a train of twenty-eight freight cars
were destroyed by the military forces of the United States -- three of
these bridges having been destroyed twice before during the late war.
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From that period all operations on the road were nearly
suspended, even between Richmond and Ashland, until the 2nd of April,
when, on the evacuation of Richmond by the forces of the Confederate
States, the road and all other property of the Company was taken
possession of by the military authorities of the United States, who
continued to hold it until the 17th of the same month. At the earliest
practicable moment after the occurrence of these disasters, the
Directory and Officers of the Company commenced the work of restoring
their road, bridges and other structures, which included not only the
rebuilding of those South of Fredericksburg, recently destroyed; but
also the bridges over the Rappahannock river, Potomac run, and Accokeek
run, and the Wharf at Acquia Creek. The bridges over the Rappahannock
river and Accokeek run are now permanent structures of the best material
and workmanship, and were erected under the direction of Mr. E. T. D.
Myers, Civil Engineer. The other bridges rebuilt were unavoidably of a
less permanent description, although abundantly strong and capable of
being safely used, until it shall be convenient to replace them with
others. These last, together with other necessary structures along the
whole road, and the wharf at Acquia creek, have been rebuilt, and about
ten miles of track near Fredericksburg, which had been removed by the
Confederate States authorities, have been relaid with new iron, under
the direction of the Company's Superintendent of roadway, Mr. W. N.
Bragg. *****
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Respectfully submitted,
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P. V. Daniel, Jr.
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President
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