| Wilmington & Weldon Rail Road Company |
| Office Chief Engineer and Superintendent |
| Wilmington, N. C. Nov. 25th 1862 |
| |
| {Sent to N. C.
Governor Vance, but salutation not provided in the printed version.} |
|
| I learn from Mr Dickinson that
you complain of this Road for not hauling Cotton belonging to the
State. |
| Lest you not be informed of
the facts I write this -- |
| An agent of the State called
on me with a letter from your Aid-de-Camp, Col. Little, requesting
transportation for 212 bales of Cotton from Wilson & 64 bales from
Taboro all to Goldsboro -- |
| I immediately agreed to
transport this cotton as soon as it was placed on the platforms of the
company -- the cotton having been stored under sheds some distance
from the Road -- |
| This delivery was to be made
& I was to be informed of the fact when I should have directed the
cotton to be hauled to Goldsboro -- |
| This information has not yet
been furnished, hence the delay in hauling the cotton. |
| I will now make an
arrangement with Mr Whitford of the Atlantic & N. C. RR to take
this cotton al the way to Raleigh if it meets with your approbation -- |
| I addressed you a telegram
from Rocky Mount on thursday last when I was en route to Richmond
asking your cooperation to obtain some Engines from the A & NC RR
to assist in hauling out the crop from the Eastern counties now
pressing us to our utmost & beyond our ability to remove -- |
| The yellow fever has crippled
our machinery to such an extent by scattering our mechanics that
unless some aid is supplied from abroad the produce of the east will I
fear in large part fall in to the hands of the enemy. |
| It behooves us all to
unite our energies in a common cause & rescue this means of
subsistence for our army & people -- |
| S. L. Fremont |