Confederate States of America
| Quartermaster-General's Department |
| Richmond, January 8, 1863 |
| |
| Hon. James A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| On the 9th ultimo I had the honor to
submit to you certain considerations relative to General Orders, No.
98, which assign Col. W. M. Wadley, assistant adjutant-general, to
the supervision and control of railroad transportation. My aim was
to exhibit the propriety if not the absolute necessity of requiring
Colonel Wadley to report regularly to this office, and I presented
views and facts tending to show that unless such a relation shall be
established between that officer and this department much
inconvenience and confusion will result. I beg leave to renew my
suggestions and to present some views not included in my former
letter.
|
| The second paragraph of General Orders, No.
98, prescribing the duties of Colonel Wadley, seems to be in
conflict with paragraph II of General Orders, No. 112. By the former
the direction of all Government agents or employees engaged in
railroad transportation, the control of all machinery and
rolling-stock belonging to the Government, the power to dispose of
the same, the authority to appoint and dismiss agents heretofore
employed by the Quartermaster's Department, and the sole supervision
and management of railroad transportation are conferred upon Colonel
Wadley. By the latter order the transportation of all ordnance,
ordnance stores, and supplies is transferred to the Quartermaster's
Department, to which it properly belonged, because it is a duty
especially devolved upon it by the Regulations, as will be perceived
by a reference, under the head of "Army Transportation,"
to paragraphs 985 to 996, inclusive.
|
| This order further charges the Quartermaster's
Department with "the safe and speedy delivery" of these
stores, and makes it responsible for the same, although by the terms
of the previous order (No. 98) the control of all railroad
transportation and the agents and employees connected with it had
been transferred to an officer unconnected with this department and
in no sense responsible to it.
|
| As stated in my former letter, all payments
for railroad transportation are provided for in the estimates of the
Quartermaster's Department, and all accounts therefore are audited
and paid by it, while the power of contracting with the railroad
companies and fixing the schedules of their compensation belongs to
an officer who is not required even to inform the department of the
terms of the contracts he may make. It seems evident that with this
divided control over the same subject unity is scarcely attainable.
I beg leave to observe further that by the Regulations all officers
charged with the disbursement of money or the custody of public
property in connection with military transportation are held
responsible for the same, and required to give "good and
sufficient bonds fully to account" therefore. To change the
system of official responsibility and accountability prescribed by
the Regulations involves a policy as to the propriety of which grave
doubts may well be entertained.
|
| I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant |
| A. C. Myers |
| Quartermaster-General |
|