| Uniontown Ala 30th May 1864 |
| Office Ala & Miss Rs RRd {Alabama
& Mississippi Rivers RR} |
| |
| Major Gen. S. D. Lee |
| |
| Sir, |
| Major Gen. Polk, deeming it very important
that there should be a through connexion, by rail, over the Alabama
& Mississippi Rivers rail road, some months since caused the
proper authorities, in behalf of the Confederate Government, to
contract with competent parties for the building of a rail road bridge
across the Tombigbee river and the Alabama & Mississippi Rivers
rail road Company bound itself under certain penalties, provided the
proper Confederate Authorities would furnish, if requested, the
necessary labor, &c &c, to complete its road by a specified
time, so as, the bridge being completed, there should be a through
connexion by rail. In view of this arrangement and for the purpose of
effecting his object, Major Gen Polk exempted the negro labor of the
counties of Marengo and Sumter from impressment for the fortifications
at Mobile and, in lieu thereof, ordered that three hundred and fifty
(350) hands, from these two counties, be impressed for the prompt
completion of the Ala & Miss Rs RRd. This order of Gen. Polk has,
in part, been rescinded by his general impressment agent, Colo F. S.
Blunt, of Mobile, Ala and the number of hands, authorized to be
impressed reduced fifty per cent. |
| I have been instructed by the Directors of
this road, to call your attention to these facts: to assure you that
this diminution of the supply of labor will render the completion of
the road in the prescribed time, utterly impossible and to request, by
you, a prompt rescission of the order of Colo Blunt and an order that
the amount of labor, originally agreed upon, be promptly impressed and
furnished for the use of this road: for unless this be done, the
object of the Government, in causing the bridge to be built, will be
defeated. |
|
I assure you that there is no time for delay: in fact,
f?? thas, owing to circumstances above mentioned and failure to
furnish labor called for, the impressment will have to be increased.
|
| I beg to hear from you at your earliest
convenience. |
| Most Respectfully |
| James L. Price, Prest. |
| Ala & Miss Rs. R. Rd. |
| |
| I will suggest that the work, for which
this labor is required, must be done in the summer months, as the
nature of the country precludes the possibility of working it after
the winter rains set in. |
| J. L. P. |
|