| Richmond February 19th 1862 |
| |
| Hon. J. P. Benjamin |
| Secretary of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| In conformity with a resolution of the
Rail road Companies of the District embracing the State of
Virginia, the State of Tennessee East of Knoxville and the State of
North Carolina north of Weldon in Convention assembled today, I have
the honor to communicate to you the following resolutions adopted by
said Convention. |
| Very respectfully |
| J. B. Winston Secy |
| |
| Resolved as the sense of this Convention
that in the present condition of the Country it is necessary in order
to preserve the efficiency of Rail Road transportation that military
power and authority should be conferred on the Presidents of the
several Rail roads to organize & control a force of men not subject to
draft to guard & protect the bridges on their roads against open force
or secret incendiarism. |
| Resolved that the Governor of the State
be requested if he has authority to do so, to detail a force for that
purpose from the counties in which said bridges are located and if he
has no such power that he be respectfully requested to ask that such
power be granted to him by the Legislature. |
| A true copy from the minutes. |
| J. B. Winston Secy. |