| To His Excellency |
| John Milton |
| Governor of the State of Florida |
| |
| Sir, |
| Observing the energetic
efforts you are putting forth to defend this State from invasion by the
Lincolnites who will be hovering on our seacoast during this Winter,
seeking to steal our property and inflict all the atrocities and evils
they can. I have thought as a citizen of this State of calling your
attention to the subject of establishing immediately if the material can
be procured a Telegraphic communication from this city to Baldwin, along
the line of the Rail Road and this place the Seat of Government in
communication with Fernandina, Jacksonville & Cedar keys and enable you
to receive immediate intelligence of any movement of the enemy in these
ports and render it easy to throw into such parts from any direction of
Middle Florida troops for their defence. The Rail Road Companies which I
represent will lend all the Assistance in their power to the
construction of this line of Telegraph. |
| You are aware that the
Pensacola & Georgia Rail Road is now completed from Lake City where it
connects with the Rail Road leading to Jacksonville, to a point 15 miles
west of this and the cars are now running to within miles of the
Town of Quincy, and the track will reach that town by the first of
January next. The Company are also engaged in constructing a Rail Road
??? the Pen & Geo R Road. Eighty two miles east of this, & running in a
north easterly direction to the boundary line between this State &
Georgia where it is net by a Road leaving the Main trunk RR of Georgia
at or near Station No. 12, one hundred & thirty miles from Savannah,
this road is designed to connect the Florida roads with those of
Georgia, and had the Pen & Geo the iron to lay down, could be completed
in three months the grading is finished and the crossties will soon be
ready. The Savannah Albany & Gulf R R Company who are constructing the
portion of this connecting road in Georgia have the iron to lay down on
their part of the line but the Pen & Geo RR Compy have not the means
sufficient to purchase the quantity required to lay down on that part
which they are to construct. The iron can be purchased in Savannah for
cash. In the month of September last a proposition was made to the
Secretary of War, which had it been acceded to would have enabled the
Company to procure the iron, and to complete the road, its advantages in
a military point of view were set forth and the notification made that
the Government should enter into a contract with the company for the
transportation of trops, stores & munitions of war at a ??? price and in
an advance of $80,000 be made on said contract to enable the company to
procure the iron & spikes and that at the expiration of the war if the
transportation did not amount to the sum advanced the company would
return the difference, giving security for the faithful performance of
the contract. If this Road were finished the distance from Tallahassee
by Rail would be two hundred & sixty three miles and with telegraphic
communications would afford great advantages in the defence of this
section of the State, having so long an ????? coast. |
| ***** |
| Very Respectfully |
| Your obt Sevt |
| E. Houstoun
{President, Pensacola & Georgia RR} |
| {Date is uncertain
and may be incorrect} |
|