| War Department, C. S. A., Engineer Bureau |
| Richmond, Va., August 13, 1863 |
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| Capt. L. P. Grant |
| Corps
of Engineers, Atlanta, Ga.
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| Captain,
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| Under instructions
from the honorable Secretary of War I have to request that you will
proceed, at the earliest moment that you can leave the works on
which you are now engaged for the defense of Atlanta to the
temporary direction of your civil assistants, to the headquarters of
General Joseph E. Johnston, at Morton, Miss., and confer with him as
to the practicability of rebuilding in a short time the railroad
bridge over Pearl River, at Jackson, Miss., with a view to securing
the rolling-stock on the Mississippi {Central}
Railroad and as much of the iron rails as possible in the
vicinity of Jackson. Your absence from the works at Atlanta must be
as short as possible, but the importance of saving all the
rolling-stock from railroads abandoned is so great that the
Secretary of War urges that no effort be spared to collect all that
can be reached. I must, therefore, call on you as an engineer of
many years' experience in all railroad constructions to go for a few
days to the locality to advise as to the most expeditious method of
accomplishing the much desired results. |
| The engineers serving with
General Johnston can then with his authority execute the work. I
will send a copy of these instructions to General Johnston with a
letter asking his full assistance and support. It is believed that
you can engage, if you have not already done so, such assistants at
Atlanta as can direct the works there during the short period of
your absence. |
| Very respectfully, |
| J.
F. Gilmer |
| Colonel of Engineers and Chief of Bureau |
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