| Headquarters Third Military District |
| Department North Carolina and Southern Virginia |
| Office Chief Quartermaster |
| Wilmington, N. C. Oct. 13th 1864 |
| |
| Brig. Genl. A. R. Lawton |
| Q. M. General |
| Richmond |
| |
| General, |
| I have the honor to state that the
circular order from your office dated Sept. 15, 1864, as understood,
is the source of considerable embarrassment in this Dept. Under this
system the shipping Q. M. is relieved from giving his receipt for
stores until he can turn over the Bill Lading, executed by the Rail
Road. In the present state of transportation, from the inadequacy of
the means, and the frequent pressure upon the Roads, a considerable
time often elapses between the bona fide delivering of stores to the
shipping QM, and their actual receipt by the Rail Road Co. The
shipping Q. M. under this circular, declines to receipt for the stores
until he can secure his Bill lading, as the circular expressly states
that the system is intended to do away with the necessity of an
exchange of receipts between the consigner and the shipping
quartermaster. The consignor is thus placed in the position of having
parted with property for which he is responsible, and failing to
obtain a voucher for the same. |
| A case has been mentioned to me today in
which a large number of blankets have passed from the possession of
one of my subordinates, and for two days he is without a voucher,
owing to the impossibility of obtaining Bills of Lading from the Rail
Road Co. I would respectfully suggest a recurrence to the former
system of Transportation Invoices, or a modification of your circular
to meet the necessities of the case. |
| Very respectfully |
| your Obt. servant |
| Jno. ?. ??son |
| Maj. & Chf Q. M. |
|