| War Department, C. S. |
| Richmond, Va., November 14, 1863 |
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| General R. E. Lee |
| Commanding, &c |
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| General,
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| I owe you an apology for not
sooner acknowledging the receipt of your letter calling my attention
to the deficiency of the supplies, both of shoes for the soldiers
and of forage for the animals of your command. I had been apprised
only the day before its receipt of the falling off in the quantity
of corn received by railroad transportation from the south, and had
immediately sent an active officer of the Quartermaster's Department
on the southern line to discover the causes of delay, and, if
possible, remove them at once. I likewise instructed the
Quartermaster-General to send forward whatever small supplies he
could command from this city, or any other convenient depots in the
State.
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| I trust relief will be
afforded by these measures, and supplies in future will be more
regular and abundant. The time is near at hand when we shall be less
dependent than for months past we have been on the transportation of
corn from such distant points as South Carolina and Georgia. The
attention of the Quartermaster-General had been before, and was
again on the receipt of your letter, called specially to the
necessity of supplying your troops with shoes. He assures me every
effort will be made, and mentions in excuse that some of the
supplies sent by the railroad had not been forwarded as promptly as
he expected. Directions have been given that such delays be not
again allowed.
|
| I
have directed that if our supplies are too limited to allow due
provision for all the armies, those serving in Northern Virginia and
the mountainous districts should be preferred. Deficiency, if
existing at all, is due to the unfortunate loss of two or three
steamers, which were laden mainly with quartermaster's stores.
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| This has compelled us to
rely almost exclusively on internal manufacture.
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| Yours, with esteem,
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| J. A. Seddon
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| Secretary of War
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|