| Engineer Bureau |
| Richmond, January 5th 1862 |
| |
| Capt. L. P. Grant |
| Provisional Engineers |
| Atlanta, Geo. |
| |
| Captain, |
| The exigencies of Service forces me to
call on you for additional duty. The destruction of the Watauga and
Holstrom bridges East Tennessee {& Georgia
and & Virginia} R. Road{s}
breaks a line of military communication vital to the army in the west.
It is essential that these bridges should be rebuilt, in some form, at
the earliest possible moment. I rely upon you to accomplish this. |
| You will please proceed to the ground
without delay and make all needful arrangements for the
reconstructions, and employ bridge builders and other men of skill to
do the work. You will procure materials from every possible source and
appeal to the rail road companies of Georgia and Tennessee the aid you
in every possible way within their power. |
| The expenses of construction will be paid
by the Government and to this end funds will be placed to your credit
at an early day at Chattanooga, Tennessee. |
| You are authorized by the Secretary of War
to do every thing that will hasten the completion of the bridges --
appeal to other roads for assistance, urge full concert of action with
you upon the East Tennessee Rail Road Co., to impress materials and
labor, and call on the commanders of troops for details of men, if
necessary. |
| An assistance Engineer will be sent to you
at once. |
| As soon as you can get the bridges under
full construction, you will visit Professor Thomassy at Atlanta, to
review his views in detail with drawings of the works necessary to the
production of salt by solar evaporation. The Professor then will go to
Europe by authority of the War Department to employ persons skilled in
the manufacture of salt. |
| You are authorized to employ an assistant
Engineer to perform the local duties in preparation for the salt
works. |
| I am Sir |
| Very Respectfully Your Obt. Servt. |
| J. F. Gilmer |
| Colonel of Engrs. & Chf Engr. Bureau |
| |
| Copy of the above sent to |
| Lieut. Genl. E. K. Smith -- Commanding Dept. of Tenn. |