| Chattanooga Tenn |
| Aug 27th 1862 |
|
|
| Rich M. Cuyler |
| Capt. Artly & Ord |
| Macon Georgia |
| |
| Dr Captain, |
| I have not been able to secure any coal
cars for the last two days; I am as yet only able to control those
belonging to the Atlanta & West Point RR only five have arrived here up
to this time, all of which I have loaded and sent forward, they should
have fifteen coal cars, only a portion of which can be found, and the
Supt is unable to tell where the balance are, says they are somewhere
between New Orleans & Richmond. None of the companys will allow us to
load coal in Box Cars, yet Mr Yonge Supt of Georgia RR put up
yesterday 20 Box cars with an agent and today they will return loaded
for himself. The supply of coal cars is not equal to one half of the
demand, and the different RR Companies should at once be required to
furnish a certain proportion of flat cars (the most of which are now
idle) fixed up to carry coal, unless something of this kind is done it
is, and will continue to be, impossible to get coal except in very
limited quantities. |
| Mr Baker an agent of the Naval Department
came here yesterday with Genl Pembertons order to impress all cars he
could find until he had sent forward four hundred & fifty tons to
Charleston. This order of Genl P. was countersigned by Genl Braggs asst.
adjutant and inspector general and of course sweeps everything before
it. and all who are not so fortunate with orders in their pockets must
remain quiet as a few days ago ten cars came from the Gas Light Company
in Charleston Genl Mercer agent telegraphed him for authority to impress
them and send to Savannah. he refused -- considering no doubt that it
was of more importance that the aristocracy of Charleston should have
coal to furnish fifty gas lights to each mansion, than the government
should have it to manufacture material and machines of War, had he
consented Genl Bragg would have countersigned. The authorities at
Richmond should place some general agent here at this place, with power
to ascertain the wants of each applicant for coal and then make a pro
rata distribution as the matter now is the State Road
{Western & Atlantic RR} does not allow
their cars to go farther than Atlanta -- and Scofield & Markham taking
advantage of this fact have 5 or 6 months supply on hand and still
shipping The cars should be pressed into the service of government and
required to go anywhere. I hope you have secured the order from Mr Tyler
and sent it forward I have not received a line from you since I left
Macon -- when you write please direct care of E. G. Walker & Co. -- I am
under the impression we shall have to look in the direction of Selma Ala
for a portion of the Coal, if the Columbus Iron Works consume a great
deal. The amount specified in my last letter will be about what we can
get from here, with present facilities. |
| I want to leave this place very bad, but
shall not do so untill I can get things in better shape than they are at
present. |
| Probably the South Western R. R might
allow you to use some of their box cars -- or the Macon & Western, you
can at once see the importance of making some arrangements The State
Road claim the control of all cars that arrive here and turn them over
to whom they please unless you can show an order direct for the Supt of
the Road to which they belong. The old orders I had from the Central &
Macon & Western roads they claim as out of date having received others
from the same parties since. If I do not hear from you by Saturday next
I will come to Macon for instructions. |
| Yours Respectfully |
| W H McDowell |
| Agt. Ord Dept. |
|