| Fredericksburg, 18th Octo, 1862 |
| |
| Col. J. R. Crenshaw |
| Richmond |
| |
| Sir, |
| Your letters of 16th &
17th inst reached me this morning, the latter with enclosures as
stated, but the copy of the order from the Adjt. General's office,
intended to accompany yours of the 16th was not enclosed therein,
which I regret as I am anxious to see the order. Please send it to me
or receipt of this. I infer from what you write that it gives to wheat
the preference of transportation, & shall act on this impression
till I hear further from you, having already notified the R. R. Agt.
here {Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac RR}
that all the wheat I have now in the Depot & any I may
receive today must go to the exclusion if necessary of any
other freight. Telegraph me on receipt of this if my idea of the order
is correct. |
| None of the 693 Bags of wheat
I put into the depot yesterday went this morning, the full capacity of
the train being exhausted in carrying the flour I wrote of
yesterday; & three car loads of Pig Iron, the latter
ordered down by the Navy Dept'mt I presume. Only ten frt. cars were
brought up yesterday, the average capacity of each car being about 120
to 130 Bushels of wheat A good Engine could easily have over this road
20 to 25 loaded cars. The R. R. Agt. here says the Co. have 70 ft.
cars & to my inquiry why more were not sent here he replied that a
certain number had to be left at the different depots on the road. |
| It seems certainly more
important to bring the freight off from this extreme end of the road
than for depots nearer to Richmond. I hope you will be able to have a
larger number of cars sent here. The 15 to 20,000 Bushels Corn
belonging to the Q. M. Dept'mt (which has been here for six months
& is more or less damaged) has been ordered to be sent to Hanover
Junction. |
| If this Corn is to go down in
equal quantities with my shipments of wheat, as seems to be the
expectation of the R. R. Agt. & the Qr. Mr. Agt. here, it may
delay me in getting off wheat as fast as I may desire. As the Corn has
only to go to the "Junction," it would surely be better for
the R. R. Co. to run an extra or special train with it which I should
think they might easily do; & while the weather is good, it could
go just as well on open cars or flats, as closed ones, for the short
distance it has to be carried, especially as I understand the Qr. Mr.
Dept'mt has a large storehouse at the Junction immediately on the road
and the unloading can be done with dispatch. I make this suggestion
about the corn to be used by you as you deem proper while I would
remark at the same time that if the R. R. Co would send up here a full
number of cars, daily, an extra train would be unnecessary. |
| Enclosed, I hand a R. R. BL
from Qr. Mr. Warren for the bags sent me. I have written across each
B. L. the number of Bags I have recd. & you will please hand them
to Capt Warren whose office is quite near to yours. |
| ***** Since writing thus far I
have recd a telegram from Col Larkin Smith, to stop the transportation
of the flour mentioned in my letter to you of yesterday. ***** |
| Very Respectfully |
| Yr. Obt. Servant |
| J. T. Doswell |
| Commissary Agent |
|