| War Department, C. S. A. |
| Richmond, Va. |
| July 24, 1863 |
| |
| Maj. Gen. S. B. Buckner |
| Commanding Knoxville, Tenn. |
| |
| General, |
| The President has received a
communication from the presidents of each of the leading railroads
in your department, manifesting serious apprehension lest, in the
course of military operations, the defense and protection of their
roads should be abandoned by the Government, and earnestly
entreating that, in the event of such contingency being
contemplated, they may receive early previous notice, so as to be
enabled to save as much as possible of the rolling-stock and movable
property of their roads. Their apprehensions, though not very
clearly expressed, seem based on the supposition that, from military
exigencies, your department, or a large portion of it, may be
abandoned to the enemy. As you are aware, no such thought has been
entertained by the Government, and only the last necessity will
induce the abandonment of any material part of your most important
department. Still, to quiet such apprehensions, the President has
given the assurance of his fixed purpose to maintain your department
and lend all the protection possible to their roads, and has added
the promise that you would be instructed, in case of any abandonment
through overruling necessity, they should receive as early notice as
the exigencies of the occasion would allow. You will, therefore,
bear this application in remembrance. Do all in your power to allay
such unreasonable apprehensions, and in the unfortunate event, not
anticipated, of a compulsory abandonment or any movement of your
forces exposing their roads to peculiar danger, you will, with all
the prudence and secrecy practicable, endeavor to give the
presidents of such roads timely warning. |
| Your obedient servant, |
| J. A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
|