| Office of Orders & Detail |
| C. S. Navy Department |
| Richmond, Va., Nov. 18th 1864 |
| |
|
Comder Catesby ap R. Jones |
| Comding &c |
| Selma, Ala. |
| |
| Sir, |
| Your letters of Oct 25 and Nov 1 have been
received. |
| Col. Sims, Chief of the Railroad Bureau,
has been consulted in reference to engines and cars. |
| He says that Col Hunt has an engine, the
Suwanne {original RR unknown}, which you
may probably obtain, and further, that if Col Hunt will make the track
he is building at Selma from the depot to the river the width of the
Montgomery & West Point R. R. he, Col Sims, will supply an engine for
it. |
| It is supposed that the engine in charge
of Mr Warner, and the thirty seven coal cars in charge of Mr Jackson,
will give sufficient transportation east of Montgomery. |
| Both of these gentlemen have been directed
to turn over to you all the coal property in their charge; and Mr Warner
will be instructed to aid you in repairing engines and cars. |
| After everything is transferred to you, be
pleased to send an inventory, to this office of all the property you
receive, state what arrangements you have made for engines and cars, how
many cars you will be obliged to build with their probable cost, if it
is necessary to purchase engines state their cost; also the number of
detailed men you need, for agents, employees, crews of vessels, &c.,
with their proposed pay. |
| The Department trusts that you will
enforce close economy and strict accountability, in the transportation
and consumption of coal. |
| I am very respectfully |
| Your Obt. Servant |
| S S Lee |
| Captain in charge |
|