|
Southern {(of Mississippi)} Rail Road
Company
|
| President's Office |
| Vicksburg, March 29th 1862 |
|
|
| Maj. R. B. Hurt |
| Military Supt of Roads |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| The enclosed letter from R. B. Lewis, Esq,
the Chief Engineer, shows the loss this Company has sustained in
consequence of the stoppage of our trains under your order of the 18th
inst. We sent them to Meridian & to Jackson as soon as possible
after your order, & the actual time that our trains were idle
only has been charged. |
| I enclose you a copy of all the telegraphs
that passed on the subject; & as our necessities force us to look
for compensation to the Government, I hope you will examine the
account & give us your approval of it, if it be according to usage
in such cases. |
| Ever since last May this company has been
running its road at not less than an average loss of $3000 per month
until the month of December last. Since then the sugar & molasses
thrown over our line by the stoppage of the route from New Orleans to
Mobile has kept all our stock busy & enabled us to retire part of
the debt to our employees & others created by the total stoppage
of business prior thereto. With an enormous debt & nothing but our
income to look to, to meet the greatly increased expenses of every
description pressing on us, we are compelled in order to keep up at
all to call in every possible resource. |
| Yours obt servt |
| Wm. C. Smedes |
|