| Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad Company |
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President's Office |
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Richmond, May 9th 1863 |
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Hon. James A. Seddon |
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Secretary of War |
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Sir, |
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Permit me, in addition to what is said in my note to you of
yesterday, in relation to protecting the wood provided & necessary for
the use of Locomotives on this road against the depredations and
consumption of soldiers & prisoners marching along the Railroad, to
suggest the necessity of strictly prohibiting any body or detachment of
troops or prisoners from encamping within one mile of any Railroad
Station, or unnecessarily marching along the line of the Railroad. Both
soldiers & prisoners are now doing both, and very rapidly
consuming all that is left of the fuel for the Locomotives, and there is
no possibility of replacing it. If they were to burn the bridges,
they could not more certainly suspend all transportation over the road;
and I know not what early train may be the last, which it will be
possible to send over the road; there are several -- possibly eight
thousand marching on it each way. No time is to be lost. |
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Very respectfully |
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Your obt Servt |
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P. V. Daniel Jr. Presdt &c |
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P. S. Car loads of prisoners (officers) are daily excluding from
the returning trains our wounded soldiers. |
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