Confederate States of America
| Quartermaster-General's Department |
| Richmond, March 26, 1862 |
| |
| The President |
| |
| Sir, |
| The Secretary of War has referred to me a
letter addressed to you by Mr. Henry Wood, president of the Roanoke
Valley Railroad Company, to which I have given careful
consideration. In reference to the subject to which that
communication relates I have the honor to submit the following
statement, based upon examination and inquiries instituted by my
direction with a view to obtain reliable information in regard to
the most advantageous route for a line of transportation between the
railroads of Virginia and North Carolina: The track of the Roanoke
Valley Railroad and all the bridges upon its line are in very bad
condition. The rolling-stock of the company consists of only two
engines and five or six cars, all of which are represented to be in
bad order. The affairs of the company are much embarrassed, the road
being under mortgage and unable to pay the interest upon its bonds,
its earnings being barely sufficient to meet current expenses. Its
condition in this respect may be worthy of consideration in
connection with the proposition of Mr. Wood that the Government
should complete the entire line of that road. It is submitted that
there exists at this time no public necessity for the construction
of the Keysville connection, and that if made it might soon become
entirely useless in view of the possible results of the enemy's
movements in North Carolina, for should Raleigh be taken the
connection thus established would be cut off. Should Weldon fall
into the hands of the enemy there would still be a connection by way
of Gaston, and a river route by way of Clarksville, in regard to
which last it may be remarked that with forty boats suitable for the
navigation of the Dan more transportation can be carried than will
or can be taken from the junction to Clarksville. The Danville route
by the way of Haw River and New's Ferry or Barksdale, it is
estimated, can be constructed in less time than the connection
between Clarksville and Keysville. This route will not be more than
ten miles longer, is not difficult of construction, being free from
rock, and will require neither bridges nor culverts except a single
bridge over the Dan River. It will, moreover, be at least fifty
miles above Raleigh. In reference to the military reasons which bear
upon this subject it will be perceived that if the enemy take
Wilmington or Goldsborough, the main line of railway through North
Carolina will be cut off. If Raleigh be captured the connection by
Gaston to Petersburg will no longer be available, nor will that by
way of Clarksville and the river route. But if the Danville road be
extended before the connection thus established can be endangered,
the enemy will be obliged to penetrate through a hilly and broken
country into the interior fifty miles west of Raleigh. It is proper
to state that arrangements have already been made for both water and
land transportation from Clarksville to South Boston on the Dan,
which will be amply sufficient to forward all freights which can be
brought to the former place. Should the enemy's movements endanger
this route or require its abandonment, the line of wagons can be
transferred so as to establish immediately transportation between
the Danville and North Carolina railroads, thus preventing a serious
interruption of communication. I respectfully return herewith the
letter of Mr. Wood.
|
| I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your
obedient servant |
| A. C. Myers |
| Quartermaster-General |
| |
| [Inclosure] |
| Office of the Roanoke Valley Railroad Company |
| Clarksville, March 7, 1862 |
| |
| His Excellency Jefferson Davis |
| President of the Confederate States of America |
| |
| The following statement of facts is
respectfully submitted to Your Excellency as information believed to
be valuable to the Government of the Confederate States: The Roanoke
Valley Railroad is completed from the town of Clarksville, in
Virginia, to the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad at Ridgeway, in North
Carolina. Under an act of the General Assembly of Virginia the Roanoke
Valley Railroad Company commenced the work of extending their road to
a place called Keysville, one of the depots on the Richmond & Danville
Railroad, in the county of Charlotte, in this State, thus to connect
by this route the railroads of North Carolina and of the other
Southern States with the Richmond & Danville Railroad at the said
depot, which is almost exactly midway between the city of Richmond and
the town of Danville. Reference to any good railroad map of Virginia
and North Carolina will afford a better view of the connection and the
facilities for transportation afforded by it than any written
description could give, and such reference is respectfully asked. The
entire work of the proposed extension was under contract and was
progressing satisfactorily, and a very large portion of it was outlay
done, when the present war began and the company was thereby compelled
to suspend the operations on it. At that time ten miles of the road
next to Keysville had been graded and was ready to receive the
superstructure, and three miles and three-quarters of the rails
actually laid on that part. Two miles of the road next to Clarksville
had also been graded, and all the masonry for the bridge across the
Roanoke River at that part of the line, reaching 1,200 feet, and the
only costly work on the whole line, was completed. The whole residue
of the line not so graded had been grubbed and cleared, and all the
cross-ties for the whole track had been delivered along the line ready
for use. The whole line is thirty miles in extent. It will be seen,
therefore, that to complete the entire line, and thus unite the
Richmond & Danville Railroad to the railroads in North Carolina and
south of it, along this line, nearly central between Richmond and
Danville, will only require about eighteen miles of grading to be
done, which is all of light character and requiring very little, if
any, masonry, the superstructure of the bridge over the Roanoke River
to be erected, and the iron to be procured and laid on twenty-six
miles and a quarter of the road. The Richmond & Danville and the
Roanoke Valley Railroad Companies can furnish the rolling-stock
necessary for running the road the moment it is ready, and it is
confidently believed that the whole work which remains to be done can
be completed and the railroad put into actual operation by the
Government in a few months. It is understood that the Government is
now contemplating the construction of a plank road from Clarksville to
some point on the Richmond & Danville Railroad, with a view to
the proposed connection by that means. No doubt is entertained that
the connection can be made by completing the proposed railroad as
suggested with as much facility and at very little, if any, more
cost than the plank road connection and with the great advantage of
railroad transportation. The Government seems already aware of the
advantages of this connection in a military point of view, and a
glance at the map of the country would sufficiently demonstrate it.
This representation is made on behalf of the Roanoke Valley Railroad
Company, who will co-operate in any manner the Government may
desire, or acquiesce in any means which may be adopted for the
execution of the work.
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| Very respectfully, your obedient servant |
| Henry Wood |
| President of Roanoke Valley Railroad Company |
|