| Columbus Ga. August 11th 1864 |
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| Col. F. W. Sims |
| Chief Rail R Bureau |
| Richmond |
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| Dear Sir, |
| Since my letter of 16th Ulto in compliance
with your request, I have investigated the matter referred to in your
28th June, & the enclosed memorandum exhibits the number of Iron
Works now in operation in iron region of Alabama & daily
productions. The amount produced is small, considering the number of
arsenals & works that are dependent on same for supply, but as I
am not informed as to the quantity required to meet the daily
consumption, it may be more than sufficient. But should your
department determine on making arrangements for furnishing R Road
supplies, I would respectfully suggest it would be much preferable to
have the control of works capable of supplying all the cast &
wrought iron that might be required for the purpose, as the success of
the manufacturing department would mainly depend upon the quantity of
supply of material furnished. |
| With these views, I have examined the
several iron works in Alabama, to ascertain if any of them could be
advantageously applied to the purpose of casting car wheels, axles,
tires &c for R Roads. The result of my investigation, leads me to
believe, that the Shelby Iron Works located in Shelby Co Ala, has
advantages that might be made useful in furtherance of object in view.
The works consist of one furnace in blast, producing about 13
tons pig metal daily & one other furnace in process of erection, a
Rolling mill, with the necessary works attached. I do not think the
engine now running the rolls is of sufficient power for heavy work
& the mill itself would require to be altered for rolling tires
& axles, but the works are better adapted than any other on that
section, except works belonging to Confed. Govt. & in the service
of other departments. |
| The iron made at the Shelby works, is of a
superior quality & with proper care & skill applied to the
manufacture iron can be made from this ore, equal to any that can be
made on any other section for Rail Road Machinery. |
| The works are located 7 miles from R Road
which entails a heavy expense in hauling all the coal used & iron
made, but my opinion is, that if your Dept can control the works, they
can be prepared to produce the greatest results in the shortest time
of any other works, as they might be prepared in a short time to cast
wheels & forge axles &c & could be supplied to R Roads in
rough state, as all our roads have the necessary machinery for boring
& fitting wheels & turning axles, this would enable you to
supply the present pressing demand, until the necessary works &
buildings could be prepared to execute all the purposes your
department may require. These works are owned by a company & at
present under contract with Nitre & M Bureau, to deliver all the
iron they make to the government & I am informed they consider the
contract unfavorable to their interest & would no doubt be willing
to make other arrangements. |
| There are other works much better prepared
& supplied with requisite machinery for executing your work, but
they are under control other departments, I allude to the Bibb County
works located in Bibb County Ala & owned by Confed govt &
under control of N & Mining Bureau & Naval Iron Works located
in this city, partly owned by private parties & Confederate govt.
My opinion is that either of these works might be transferred to your
department, for the purpose you require with decided advantage to the
government. |
| The Bill County works are advantageously
situated on R Road & consists of two blast furnaces, one only on
blast, a rolling mill & large machine shop, with a good supply of
machine tools. The machinery is not yet furnished or in
operation I am not informed to what purpose it is to be applied.
There is also a good saw mill attached. With some alteration to the
mill & erection of Foundry, these works would answer the purpose
of your department. |
| The Naval Iron Works, located in this City
has all the requisites for such a mill or works as you require with
exception of coal & iron, they consist of a large Rolling mill,
which the government has been erecting for the past two years at a
large cost, also a small rolling mill, leased from private parties, a
machine shop & large foundry, the whole works are well calculated
for the business required if they could be supplied with coal &
iron, which they have never had yet. I do not think the Navy
department who control these mills would transfer them, but if
arrangements could be effected to get them, it would be beneficial to
the government & in my opinion doing the country a service. I have
referred to these three several works for the purpose of calling you
attention to them that would enable your departt, if either of them
can be controlled, to put an establishment in operation that would be
able at the shortest possible time, to supply the so much needed
articles for our R Roads. |
| But if neither of these works can be
obtained, a contract might be made with parties to supply pig iron
& wrought iron & the work could be got up in limited time to
cast the wheels & forge axles &c., but it would require some
time with the means we have at present at our control at least 8 or 10
months to get up a mill & works, that could roll tire for
locomotives & other large work. The scarcity of skilled laborers
makes it very difficult to get up machinery, but think it probable
that a large portion required might be purchased from parties who have
moved it from country over run by enemy. |
| In explanation of the liberty I took of
telegraphing you in regard to {Montgomery &}
West Point road, I presumed that the matter of repairing the
road would be referred to your department, & knowing the
importance of the road being repaired in the shortest possible time, I
was anxious to render any assistance I could in furtherance of the
object, having often noticed the loss & delay in operations of
this kind caused by the want of practical information of those have
charge of said work & having originally built that road, as well
as a number of other roads in the confederacy, as I have been over 30
years actively engaged in building R Roads & having the direction
and management of large bodies of men, I believed I could have
rendered valuable assistance; with power to control labour &
material, the road ought to be repaired in a short time. |
| You must excuse my long delay in making
the report, but the recent raid through this section, calling every
man to the field has prevented my giving it earlier attention. |
| Very Respectfully |
| Your Obt Servant |
| John D. Gray |
| |
| List of Iron Works in operation in Alabama |
| Calhoun Iron Works, Calhoun Co |
|
|
has 1 furnace in blast making about |
4 tons |
|
Pig Metal per day, 3 Bloomers &
reforming furnaces making on average 1000 #, bar iron
per day, this iron is of poor quality not suitable for
castg wheels or machine work |
|
| Oxford Iron Works at Oxford |
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|
has one furnace in blast making daily |
15 tons |
|
Pig Metal. The Iron is classed No. 1.
soft, fibrous, chills well and would make R Road
castings |
|
| Salt Creek Iron Works.
Talladega Co |
|
|
one furnace in blast making |
7 tons |
|
Pig Metal daily. Iron classed No. 2. very
hard |
|
| Romp Valley Works Bibb Co |
|
|
2 Furnaces, 1 in blast making |
7 tons |
|
daily. Had no opportunity examining fair
sample of metal, saw to be of average quality |
|
| Shelby Works Shelby Co |
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|
1 Furnace in blast making |
13 tons |
|
Pig Metal daily, has also Rolling Mill
with necessary puddling fires making about 5 tons
merchant Bar Iron per day. The Pig Metal Class No. 1.
The Bar Iron is of a good quality not surpassed by any
in Iron region |
|
| McElwaine Works Jefferson Co |
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|
2 furnaces 1 in blast making |
7 tons |
|
per day. Metal classed No. 1. |
|
| Bibb County Works |
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|
owned by Confed. Govt. |
|
|
2 Furnaces 1 in blast makes |
10 tons |
|
Pig Metal daily. Clases No. 1 superr {superior?}
for casting heavy ordnance.
There is a rolling mill, when working makes 5 or 6 tons
merchant iron per day. Machine shop & other works
belonging to works, all under control of N & Mining
Bureau. |
|
| Selma Rolling Mill Selma Ala |
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|
Makes merchant bar iron daily about |
10 " |
| Montgomery Rolling Mill
Montgomery Ala. |
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Makes small roo & hoop iron say |
2 1/2 tons |
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per day when working, mill owned by writer
& associates |
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| Naval Iron Works Columbus Ga |
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2 Rolling Mills Product not ??? owned by
Confd Govt. |
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| Shepard Works Bibb Co Ala |
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has 6 Bloomeres ready to work will be
making iron in a few days probably in operation at this
time |
|
| Red Mountain Works Jefferson
Co Ala |
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not yet in operation has 3 large furnaces
ready to put on blast |
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|
| In addition to the several works before referred
to, there are a number of small bloomeres in operation in
different locations, their product is small, object of owners
being generally to keep out of the army & not to make Iron. |
| From the foregoing list you will
perceive that the daily amount of Pig Metal is 63 tons, from
this must be deducted about 25% for time lost or delays, leaving
about 48 tons per day to supply the demands. |
| The production of Bar Iron is so
uncertain that no correct estimate can be made of quantity as
the mills do not work regular. |
| Respectfully submitted |
| Your Obt Servt |
| John D. Gray |
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