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Railroad Bureau
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| Col F. W. Sims, Letter |
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| A Railroad Bureau should be a co-ordinate
branch of the Quarter Master Department but independent of the Q. M.
G. to give its chief greater latitude of action and a more direct
responsibility to government. The business can only be managed by one
who has been educated to it, and is to this extent a speciality
differing from any element heretofore entering into military
operations, and the importance of properly managing transportation,
rapidly concentrating troops or supplies can only be manifest to those
whose daily business enables them to see the difficulties arriving
from a want of control of the movement and trains. My intent is that
the control should not be so much of property as of the movements
thereof and those who operate it. The Chief of the RRB should
therefore have powers to enforce schedules, distribution of rolling
stock from the strong to the weak, sending trains through from one
road to another. He should organize a system of transportation
protecting Govt. for stores in transit and yet just to railroad
companies, and should control all officers of gov't connected
therewith. He should regulate the tariff paid for Gov't
transportation, control all cars, engines, or other property desirable
to railroads & owned by gov't should buy, sell, exchange or rent
such machinery with or to any railroad. Captured railroad property
should be turned over to him, disabled machinery should be repaired by
him so far as he could do so to which end he should import the
necessary material & if owned by others the expense of repairs,
collected from them. |
| The chief should have the rank, pay, and
allowances of a Colonel of Cavalry, and should be aided by one officer
to act as inspector in each state (with the rank pay and allowances of
a Major of Cavalry) though subject to be ordered anywhere the chief
sees proper, and the various Superintendents should to some extent be
subordinate to him. |
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| {on the back of the letter} |
| Mr. Cruger, |
| Within are my ideas expressed crudely
& in haste, they embrace the practical powers that should be
conferred on an officer in charge of railroads. |
| Very respy |
| F. W. Sims |
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| F. W. Sims |
| L?? Cruger |
| Jan. 8, 1864 |
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