| Victoria {Tex.} |
| December 16th 1863 |
| |
|
Maj Genl J Bankhead Magurder
|
| Commanding &c |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| On behalf of the San Antonio & Mexican
Gulf Rail Road Company, I respectfully address you on the subject of
your order for the destruction of said road, and with the hope that
you may be induced to modify that order in accordance with the propositions
I now have the honor to submit to you: |
| 1st. The Company have taken apart the
Locomotives and at their own expense will convey the same to Columbus
or any other point you may designate, but transportation being
difficult to obtain at present it will be expected that the Government
will furnish the teams -- all however at the expense of the Company. |
| 2nd. The Company will immediately take
apart all the Cars, flats &c, and remove the springs, boxes,
wheels &c, so as to render them useless and disabled, or, if
preferred, the whole structures to be moved, to any point you may
designate -- also at their own entire expense. |
| 3. Already four and a half miles of
the road have been torn up. Commencing at Lavaca -- two miles of which
have been burned in accordance with your order. |
| Instead of this mode of destruction it is
proposed that the ties and Iron be hauled in the Cars to this place as
fast as the same is torn up. This would involve no additional expense
or loss of time, as it would be less trouble to place the ties and
iron on the cars than in piles, and empty cars left to be loaded while
the cars are making the trip to Victoria. After the ties & iron
have been accumulated at Victoria it would be but little trouble to so
arrange them that the whole could be fired and destroyed at the
approach of the Enemy. |
| By this course the material of the Road in
case the enemy does not advance in this direction would be saved, and
even should he approach, the same object & end would be attained
as if the destruction of the road had been consummated in accordance
with your order. |
| We hope sir, the proposition herein may
meet your approval and that you will so modify your order that the
total destruction of the road may not occur unless rendered necessary
by the approach of the enemy. |
| I have the Honr to be Sir, |
| Your obt. Svt. |
| J. O. Wheeler |
| Superintendent |
| S. A. & M. G. R. R. Co. |