| Quarter Master General's Department |
| Richmond, April 16th 1864 |
| |
| Genl. R. E. Lee |
| Comdg etc |
| |
| Sir, |
| I wrote you about two weeks
since to explain the measures adopted by this Department to transport
supplies from the South, & to mention some of the difficulties in
the way. Yesterday the Sect. of War handed be a letter from you, which
satisfies me that you are not aware of the complete control which the
Govt. is now exercising over the R. Roads. |
| All pleasure travel has been
stopped entirely between Georgia & your Army; & at my request,
orders have been issued to grant no passports between those points;
except to persons traveling with Govt. transportation; or clearly on
public business. The Rail Roads are now thoroughly consecrated to
Govt. supplies, except so far as it is necessary to yield for the very
existence of the city population under this pressure, besides
turning over to the Commissary Dept. nearly three thousand bushels a
day, there have been forwarded to your army fifty seven thousand
bushels of corn {200 car loads} from the
1st to the 12th instant inclusive. This is addition to four or five
hundred thousand pounds of meat {about 31 car
loads}. The heavy rains have now seriously interfered with
transportation, by the destruction of several bridges, among them the
one at Petersburg. But I hope to have them all in condition again in
forty eight hours from this time. |
| I am pained to learn by
Telegram this morning, that a large amount of corn is awaiting
shipment at Wilmington; all the cars on the road to Weldon being taken
possession of by the Military Authorities at Goldsboro. This constant
interference with the trains I fear will produce serious results in
this time of scarcity & pressure. My earnest & repeated
representations on this subject have thus far been of little benefit
to transportation. |
| The small arms which you
requested should be brought from Wilmington have reached Richmond. |
| A. R. Lawton, Q. M. Genl. |