| War Department, C. S. A. |
| Richmond, Va., June 29, 1864 |
| |
| General R. E. Lee |
| Commanding, &c. |
|
|
| General,
|
| Your letter of the 28th
instant with regard to the repair of the Danville railroad {Richmond
& Danville RR} has been received. I am happy to have
anticipated your wishes in every particular expressed. Not a day was
lost after the injury was inflicted before the officers of the
Department, with all the laborers that could be commanded, were
engaged in the work of reparation. I have not yet received such
reports as enable me to judge of the extent of the injury or the
time required for repairs, but measures have been taken to ascertain
them; and all the resources of the Department will be employed in
restoring the road to moving condition at the earliest possible
period. Proper representations have been made, and will continue to
be made, to the newspapers to prevent any reference to the
restoration of the road. Indeed, it has been my policy, so far as
with reference to the truth and propriety I could, to induce the
public impression that the injury is more serious and will require
more time for reparation than, I trust, will prove the case. The
enemy will be more surely deluded by a mistaken impression of the
public on the subject. Besides, I lost no time in taking active
measures to procure such supplies as could be drawn from all farmers
along the lines of communication open on the north side, and in
urging the early threshing of the incoming crop. They will be made
more willing to afford such supplies and more active in getting out
and forwarding their wheat by the belief that there must be serious
delay in repairing the road. I shall be greatly disappointed if the
measures taken do not enable me to afford supplies for the
economical use of the army should the time required for reparation
greatly exceed expectation. |
| Very respectfully, |
| James
A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
|