|
Confederate States of America
|
| Quarter Master General's Department |
| Rail Road Bureau Richmond Dec 10th 1863 |
| |
| Brig. Genl. A. R. Lawton |
| Q. M. G. |
| |
| General, |
| I respectfully beg leave to return the
bill of Manassas Gap R Rd Co and the accompanying papers which were
sent to me for report. |
| There is no item upon the bill which Capt.
T. R. Sharp A. Q. M. cannot more fully explain than any one else, and
there is no reason why he should not do so. He has always been in
possession of the cars and is acquainted with all the obligating of
Govt towards them. |
| With the evidence furnished, my opinion is
that large deductions should be made before settlement. My objections
are as follows: |
| To Item #1. |
On the 1st April 1863, Capt Sharp gave Hugh Rice
Supt an order to collect his cars. Thirty days was plenty of
time to have done it. Item #7 shows that the effort was not commenced
until the 1st May -- a month after the order was given, and then
took 135 days. Notwithstanding Capt Sharp gave the order
to collect the cars on 1st April, he pays the rent up to 30th
June -- three months. |
| To items # 2, 3. |
There is no evidence addressed to substantiate the
loss. The charges do not seem excessive it the loss is
established. |
| To item #4. |
These cars have not been repaired and this
whole item is a guess. It may be a correct one but there was no
representative of Govt to assent to it. |
| To item #5. |
The same objection as to No. 4 are good -- the
cars have not been repaired. |
| To item #6. |
The same remarks made relative to No. 1 are
applicable to this item. |
| To items # 7, 8. |
Thirty days was plenty of time to do this work;
only seventeen cars are reported as having been found, and this
after 135 days search? |
|
| It is very clear that Capt. Sharp is the
only officer that can act in this case with a knowledge of all the
circumstances. My conclusions may be wrong and as the Govt desires to
do full justice I would suggest that Capt Sharp be called on for a
report. |
| There is one fact apparent and to which
your attention is asked. On the 1st April the order was given to
gather these 39 cars. If the Government had have paid for all them on
that day at the prices charged it would have expended |
| For 37 flt cars at $1,500 |
$55,500 |
|
| " 2 Pass
" " $4,000 |
8,000 |
$63,500.00 |
|
| The Govt would then have owned the 17 cars which are
reported as found: |
| As the case stands, the Govt paid
rent from April 1st (the day the order to collect the cars was
given) to June 30th = Equal to |
3,549 |
| at (I believe the price per car per day at that
time was) $2.75 = |
$9,759.75 |
| Add the bill now presented |
68,273.00 |
|
Making a total of |
$78,032.75 |
|
| and the Manassas Gap Co. still owns the cars, which
would make a still further difference to the Govt by this management
of $25,500.00. |
| I remain, General |
| Very respectfully |
| Yr obdt st |
| F. W. Sims |
| Q. M. |
| |
| {on back of the letter} |
| Columbia Jany 31/64 |
| Respectfully returned to the Quartermaster Genl. with
the recommendation that the Manassas Gap RR Co be paid for 37 Freight
Cars at $1500.00 each and 2 Passenger Cars at $4000.00 each, and for
the service of one Locomotive and three men at $25 per day from 1st
May to 13 Sept '63. |
| In answer to the objections of Maj. F. W.
Sims, QM: to item #1 I can say that although Mr Rice received orders
on the 1st April to collect the cars, he was unable to get an Engine
before the 1st of May to do the work and after the work was commenced
he was unable to get permission from RR Officers in many cases for his
engine to move the cars; his engine was once impressed by Officer of
the government for other service which also caused much delay and on
the 30 June '63 being satisfactorily informed that the Cars were still
in possession of the government I paid the rent to that date. |
| Thos R Sharp |
| Capt & AQM |