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Richmond, Dec. 8th, 1861 |
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Thomas Ruffin |
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I sent you a telegram on yesterday, and would have written
last night but was under an obligation to accompany a committee of Rail
Road Presidents to an interview with Mr. Davis. My telegram was intended
to procure an amendment to the bill chartering a military road from
Greensboro to Danville, authorizing the Confederate Government (if
deemed preferable) to run the road from the Shops to Danville. |
| There are many considerations
which conduce to make such an amendment desirable. Upon an examination
of the condition of the different rail roads in the Confederacy we find
a most alarming deficiency both in Rails and in Rolling Stock. There are
but few companies that can continue operations longer than the year
without an increased supply. |
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The Confederate Government knows and feels this deficiency,
and will be compelled to use every possible effort to extricate them
from the dilemma. |
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The coal and iron from Deep River must be brought into use. |
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President Davis is fully impressed with this conviction and
it behooves your Convention (as it has assumed legislative powers) to
afford him every possible facility to obtain access to that region of
our State. |
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In addition to granting the charter amended as proposed, a
separate charter for a Rail Road should be granted running from the coal
fields to the Shops or some other point on the N. C. R. R. |
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I would not trouble you about this matter if its importance
did not demand it. |
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William S. Ashe |
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p. 203 |