Quartermaster-General's Office
| Richmond, December 9, 1862 |
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| Hon. James A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
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| Sir, |
| I respectfully beg leave to again call
your attention to the operation of General Order, No. 98, assigning
Col. W. M. Wadley, assistant adjutant-general, to the supervision
and control of railroad transportation, and also to repeat some of
the views I had the honor to present to you verbally. By the
provisions of the Army Regulations the Quartermaster's Department
has been charged with the duty of providing transportation for
troops and all army stores, equipage, and supplies. During the
present war it is well known the Government has been greatly
dependent upon the railroads of the Confederacy for the
transportation of troops and supplies, and has been obliged to
employ them to the utmost extent of their capacity. All contracts
with the railroad companies have been made by this department, and
the payment of their accounts has consumed a large proportion of the
estimates made for expenses of military transportation. The control
of this important means of transportation has been one of the most
responsible duties of this department, mainly because of its
intimate connection with the movements of our armies in the field
and their dependence upon it for the prompt delivery and quick
removal of military supplies; and the railroads have become so much
identified with most of the duties of this department that much
inconvenience, confusion, and embarrassment will result if their
supervision be transferred to another department of the public
service altogether unconnected with this. I do not object to the
policy of placing all railroad transportation under the supervision
of an able and competent officer, as Colonel Wadley is known to be;
on the contrary, I had the honor to suggest that such an arrangement
should be made, with the expectation, however, that the
superintendent of this transportation should report to this
department and act under its authority. The absolute necessity for
this is, I submit, most apparent, as it is essential to the dispatch
of the business of this office that I should be regularly and
promptly informed of such regulations for railroad transportation as
might be adopted by the general superintendent, and particularly
that I should be advised of the terms of compensation agreed upon,
that the necessary estimates to provide for its payment might be
made. For these and other reasons, which will be readily suggested,
I submit that the effect of the general order referred to will be to
occasion difficulty and embarrassment to this department unless
Colonel Wadley be directed to report regularly to this office. |
| A. C. Myers |
| Quartermaster-General |
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