| Engineer Bureau |
| Richmond, January 28th 1863 |
| |
| Hon. Sec. of War |
| Richmond |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have to acknowledge the reference to use
for an opinion, of a letter of Colonel E. Fontaine, President of the
Va. Cent. R. Rd. Co. {Virginia Central RR} protesting against the impressment of any portion
of the unlaid iron belonging to the company, for the very important
link of railroad under construction between Danville and Greensboro. |
| I infer from perusing the Colonel's
letter, that, of the nine miles of iron procured for the extension of
their road by the Va. Cent. R. Rd. Company but little has actually
been laid. From such information as is in the possession of the
Bureau, it is not thought that this road is in worse condition than
most others, but decidedly the contrary. The slow rate of speed
adopted for trains, it is understood, is more to economise, and
prevent wear and tear of material than from fear of accidents due to
defective bars. In the doubtful contingency of a successful raid
resulting in the destruction of a large quantity of iron, alluded to
by the President of the road, a supply for repairs might be obtained
from sidings now scarcely used and the extreme end of that portion of
the road beyond Stanton, which is not of first class importance,
certainly not as compared with the Piedmont R. Rd. |
| With these lights before us I think the
authority to impress fifty (50) per cent (not the whole) of the unlaid
iron of the Va. Cent. R. Rd. Co. was not improperly given. |
| Of course it is not for the Bureau to pass
an opinion upon the threat contained in the latter part of Colonel
Fontaine's letter. |
| Very Respectfully |
| Your obt. Servt. |
| J. F. Gilmer |
| Colonel & Chief of Engineer Bureau |
| |
| P. S. |
| Since writing the above I have had an
interview with Col. Fontaine, President of the Virginia Central R. Rd.
Co. and his representations as to the wants of his road are such as to
make it proper, in my judgment, to suspend the impressment of the 50
per cent of unlaid iron belonging to his company for a few days and
until further information can be obtained as to the practicability of
getting the iron from certain roads named by him. If it cannot be had
from other sources, then your original order should be executed. Col.
Fontaine asserted it was not his intention to indulge in a threat in
his earnest letter of remonstrance, but simply to express the urgent
necessities of the Central R. Rd. Company. |
| J. F. Gilmer |
| Colonel & Chf Engr Bureau |
|