Demopolis, April 24, 1862
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| Hon. George W. Randolph |
| Secretary of War, Richmond, Va. |
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| Sir, |
| In obedience to your instructions handed to me
at Richmond, I proceeded at once to the line of the railroad from
Selma, in Alabama, to Meridian, in Mississippi, and up to the present
time have endeavored to obtain such information as I could as to the
present condition of the road and prospects of its early completion. I
have delayed a report to you until now so that I could obtain an
interview with the president and directors of the Alabama & Mississippi Rivers Railroad Company and ascertain their
prospects and plans for the early completion of their road so as to
connect at Meridian. On yesterday I attended a session of the board
of directors and had a conference with them on the subject of the
road. The first and most important object of the company was to
obtain the advance of the $150,000 authorized by Congress, and to
this end the following papers were prepared and submitted to my
examination, to wit: First, the note of the company, payable to the
Confederate States of America, for $150,000, ten years after date;
second, a mortgage on the entire road bed, fixtures, rolling-stock,
depot property, machine-shops, etc., to secure the payment of the
note; third, the obligation of the company, with ample personal
security, for the prompt and faithful application of the money
toward the completion of the road; fourth, an agreement by the
company in the meantime to transport promptly over their road, or
any part of it, any and all troops, munitions of war, provisions, or
other articles which the Government may desire to forward, and to
credit any expense thus incurred by the Government on the note of
the company till the amount thereof be extinguished.
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These several papers duly executed will be transmitted to you
so soon as the mortgage can be recorded in the four counties of
Dallas, Perry, Marengo, and Sumter, through which the road passes. I
have made an estimate of the value of the road with its fixtures,
depot property, rolling-stock, machine-shops, etc., and have looked
into the liens already existing upon the property of the company,
and am satisfied the security offered by the mortgage is amply good.
I will, if you prefer, send you a detailed statement of my estimates
of the value of the road and of the existing liens upon it. If upon
receiving the several papers above enumerated you should concur with
me in opinion that the repayment of the $150,000 is amply secured by
the mortgage, the company will desire to receive the money at the
earliest possible day, and a check or draft on Mobile would answer
the purposes of the company. Knowing it to be the desire of the
Government to have this route in a condition to be used at the
earliest possible moment, I have directed my inquiries in the first
instance to the completion of the road to this point, and to the
best and shortest mode of reaching the Mobile & Ohio Railroad from
this place. The railroad from Selma to this place is now completed
within eight miles of this place, and will be within five miles in two
weeks. From this point to Gainesville, on the Tombigbee River, a
distance of about thirty miles by land, and about double that number
of miles by water, the river is now in fine condition for navigation,
and steam-boats could readily be procured in Mobile to be used on this
route if needed by the Government. From Gainesville to the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, a distance of some twenty miles, a
railroad has already been completed with the exception of some two
miles near Gainesville. I have placed myself in communication with
the president of the Gainesville road {Mississippi,
Gainesville & Tuscaloosa Railroad}, and have earnestly
urged the prompt building of the two miles of the road now
unfinished. I refer to this route so that it may be brought in use
by the Government if required. The president and directors of the
Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Railroad Company promise to use every
effort to push forward their road. They adopted a resolution
authorizing me to exercise the power con jointly with their
principal engineer of directing the progress of the work, and I
shall devote to it every possible attention. You will notice that in
executing the note for $150,000 nothing is said upon the subject of
interest. In reference to the interest, the company take the ground
that for the accommodation of the Government they will have to make
sacrifices to finish their road, iron and materials being at this
moment quite high. I am satisfied there is much force in the ground
assumed by the company on the question of interest, but I deemed it
best to take the obligation of the company to credit on the note any
claims against the Government for services rendered by the road even
before the maturity of the note. The company have engaged about
1,000 tons of railroad iron now in New Orleans, which will have to
be forwarded by the New Orleans and Jackson {&
Great Northern} Railroad and the Southern {(of
Mississippi)} Railroad. As these roads are understood to be
under the control of the Government, I have to request that you will
furnish me at once an order to these companies to transport the iron
without delay.
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| Another subject I desire to bring to your
notice. A railroad has been constructed from the town of Cahaba, on
the Alabama River, to Marion, in Perry {the
Cahaba, Marion & Greensboro Railroad}, a distance of
twenty-eight to thirty miles. This road has been unprofitable to its
stockholders, is now understood to be involved in a chancery suit, and
might, without much public inconvenience, be dispensed with. You will
see from the map that this road crosses the Alabama and Mississippi
Rivers Railroad about fourteen miles from Marion. As the rails on the
road and its rolling-stock would be important in completing and
equipping the Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Railroad, and even
essential (as it is now quite difficult to procure by purchase either
rails or rolling-stock), I respectfully advise that you give me an
order to impress the rails from Cahaba to the place of crossing the
Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Railroad with the rolling-stock,
materials on hand, etc., to be used in completing the Alabama and
Mississippi road upon such terms and conditions as to compensation as
you may deem best. I understand such an order from the Government
would be willingly acquiesced in by many of the principal stockholders
in this company, as the road is now doing nobody much good. The
Alabama and Mississippi Rivers Railroad Company have taken steps to
arrange a proper connection at Reagan with the Northeast & Southwest {Alabama Railroad}
Company. If before the road can be completed the Government
should find occasion to send troops on this road I am assured by the
company that every effort will be made to pass them speedily by way
of the river route to Gainesville, provided a few days' notice be
given in advance of the desire of the Government.
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| One other suggestion and I will close this
report, already longer than I could wish. In the event the enemy
should get into possession of Mobile the road from Selma to Meridian
will become a necessity to the Government. Most of the planters in
this part of the country have pretty much abandoned the cultivation
of cotton and put their lands in corn. This state of things will
diminish the labor usually employed in the cultivation of crops, and
hands can on many plantations be spared for other purposes. Negro
laborers could to a considerable extent be impressed by the
Government without much public injury. If therefore you deem it
advisable to cause the road from Selma to Meridian to be completed
at the earliest possible day, and think proper to give the necessary
order for impressing laborers, your order will be promptly and
carefully executed.
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| I am, very respectfully |
| A. S. Gaines |
| Engineer and Special Agent |
| P. S. -- I am informed that the Marion and Cahaba
Railroad Company have on hand 400 tons of iron and 400 kegs of
spikes not heretofore used and proposed to be used on an extension
of their road now abandoned. I hope your order will be broad enough
to allow me to take these. I am further informed that the Eufaula
Railroad Company {Montgomery & Eufaula RR} have a new locomotive and certain cars and spikes
at Montgomery, and that the building of their road has been
suspended. I suggest that your order be broad enough to allow these
to be taken and used also.
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