| Richmond, April 15, 1864 |
| |
| General R. Ransom, Jr. |
| Bristol, Tenn. |
| |
| Sir, |
| I beg to acknowledge the receipt of
yours of the 5th instant and to assure you that I appreciate the
difficulties by which you are surrounded. It is truly lamentable to
realize the necessity of transporting corn from Georgia, almost
around the Confederacy, to a point near the border of Georgia again.
And yet this does seem to be a necessity, if we must retain troops
in that region. We are now feeding everything in and around
Richmond, and all General Lee's army (about to be increased by
Longstreet's command), with the products of South Carolina and
Georgia, and the problem we are trying to solve can scarcely be
contemplated without alarm. All private travel has been stopped on
main lines of railway, and the trains devoted to the Government.
Notwithstanding all this, how can we ever accumulate with so many
mouths open for every pound of grain or meat that arrives? All the
trains over the Danville and Greensborough route have been devoted
for several weeks exclusively to the supply of General Longstreet's
command, and it is hoped that he will leave you a small supply of
grain when he moves his corps to Charlottesville. I will use every
exertion to keep you supplied for a month, as you desire, and
sincerely hope by that time you can draw your forage elsewhere than
from the far South. I will be pleased to hear from you at any time.
|
| A. R. Lawton
|
| Quartermaster General |
|