Jackson's River, February 17, 1862
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| His Excellency Governor Letcher |
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| Sir, |
| When in Richmond I had some conversation
with you in relation to the extension of the Central Railroad {the
Virginia Central Railroad} to Covington. All that is
necessary to complete the road to Covington is the delivery of eight
miles of railroad iron at this point. The work is ready for the
rail, and there is about one mile of iron here. I have written to
the Quartermaster-General urging him to take some steps to secure
the completion of the road, and stated to him that it would be
impossible to maintain an army west of Lewisburg if we had to
transport all the supplies from this point. It will be necessary to
transport not only supplies for the soldiers, but likewise forage
for the horses. The quartermaster at the White Sulphur is now
hauling corn from Monroe County, a distance of twenty and thirty
miles. The quartermaster at the White Sulphur is now impressing
corn, not being able to buy at a reasonable price. I believe that in
a month or two all the surplus corn west of the Alleghany Mountains
will be consumed. If the railroad was finished to Covington we would
save nine miles of the worst road of wagon transportation, and could
so improve the road from Covington west as to enable us to supply a
large army as far as Meadow Bluff, a distance of forty-five miles
from Covington. Covington would also become the point from which the
army in Pocahontas would be supplied. The distance from Covington to
Huntersville is five miles less than from Millborough, and in
addition to saving five miles in distance we avoid crossing one or
two high mountains. The Central company have now on hand the iron to
lay this nine miles of road, bought for the purpose, but decline to
use it for the alleged reason that during the year or at the latter
end of the year they may wish to relay a portion of their track east
of Covington. It is doubtful whether they will want the iron for
this purpose, but would it not be better to complete the road to
Covington and use it for the summer campaign, and thus save Western
Virginia, if possible; and if at the end of the year the eastern
part of the Central road needed repairing and the iron could not be
gotten elsewhere, to take up the nine miles west of Covington? I
hope you will bring this subject to the attention of the Secretary
of War. If it is proposed to build the road to Covington it should
be done at once. In a month or two all the rolling-stock of the
Central road will be required for movement of troops and supplies,
and they will not then be able to transport the iron.
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| Yours, truly |
| James G. Paxton |
| Captain and Assistant Quartermaster |
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| [First indorsement] |
| February 19, 1862 |
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| This letter is earnestly commended to the
attention of the Honorable Secretary of War. |
| By order of the Governor. |
| S. Bassett French |
| Aide-de-Camp |
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| [Second indorsement] |
| Colonel Myers for prompt attention. |
| J. P. B. |
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| [Third indorsement] |
| Some time since I had an interview with the
president of the Virginia Central Railroad, and urged strenuously the
completion of the railroad from Jackson's River to Covington. The
president is very desirous to do the work, but says the iron he has on
hand is necessary for the repairs of his road now in active operation.
If the iron which has been delivered to the Winchester & Potomac Railroad is taken to extend the Central road a great
public interest will be served. The importance of the operations in
Western Virginia demand that this should be done.
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| Respectfully, etc. |
| A. C. Myers |
| Quartermaster-General |
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