| Quartermaster General's Department |
| Sep. 19th 1864 |
| |
| R. R. Cuyler Esq |
| Pres etc {President, Central
(of Georgia) RR and South Western RR} |
| Savannah, Geo. |
|
| Sir, |
| I have received yours of 7th ins &
considered its contents. I beg you to feel assured that the change in
the arrangements for auditing R. Road accounts was only made after
mature deliberation & I feel very confident that after the first
month the arrangement will prove satisfactory to the Companies. |
| It is a business peculiar in itself, &
very few QMasters are so familiar with the details as to save
themselves in passing their accounts through the auditing officers of
the Treasury. Moreover the funds intended for that purpose, become
scattered & mingled with other funds, under the present
arrangement, & great confusion & delay thus arise. If the
settlements & payments are all made here, the amounts being large
in most all cases I can make special arrangements with the Treasury,
which the roads will be glad to accept. It involves many millions
every month, & should be under the eye of the Bureau at the Seat
of Government. |
| It is true that the accounts are too bulky
for transmission by mail; but this is the case with the hundreds of quarterly
returns of our QMasters. They are all sent by Express under special
arrangements with this Bureau. The R. Road accounts can be forwarded
in the same way. |
| No effort will be spared on my part to
serve the Rail Roads under this new arrangements. |
| A. R. Lawton, Q. M. Genl. |