| Lego Aug 29th 1864 |
| |
| My dearest Father,
{Moncure Robinson, internationally known RR
engineer and an early President of the Richmond, Fredericksburg &
Potomac RR; lived in the Philadelphia during the War} |
| |
| On my return from an
inspection of the {Virginia} Central rrd I
have stopped for two days with Uncle John, but wishing to forward a
reply to yours of June
by the next Steamer from Wilmington to Halifax I wrote from here in
order to forward it directly from Richmond. Immediately on the receipt
of your letter I communicated with Mr Rives & with Dr Mills: You will
perceive from the enclosed papers that Dr M forwarded to you the
transfers requested to you in yours of June during his fathers life now
two years ago, & that until the receipt of your letter that led me to
ask for then he was under the impression that they were in your hands:
The certificates and transfers have been evidently lost, & all that can
be done now you will find enclosed. |
| I have recently been in
correspondence with Mr Rives on the subject of a settlement of his
claims on you: he declining receiving your stocks here in payment, on
the ground that the property is really much depreciated, & he prefers
not to settle the claim until a return of peace, unless you are willing
to place the amount to his credit in Sterling exchange & notify him so
that he can draw upon it; he states that he desires this mode of
settlement as Mr Tucker had debts in Bermuda that he would wish to pay.
Therefore in writing to Mr Rives to send you the certificates with
powers of transfer that you wished & knew it would be useless to ??? to
him a settlement out of your property here. |
| Whilst Dr Mills has not
disagreed to my proposal, it is evident to me that it is not to his
taste, & I shall not therefore press the subject. |
| Cousin Wirt with whom I had
settled on the same basis as with the Fredericksburg Company, has become
dissatisfied, & wishes me to say to you that he much prefers to return
to me the stocks I have transferred to him & that you should exchange
what funds of his are in your hands for sterling & place them to his
credit with Brown Shipley & Co Liverpool. |
| It is very evident that none
of these gentlemen will be satisfied with less than the equivalent of
the greenbacks you received as dividends. |
| Mr Horner I have not heard
definitely of; he is a purchasing commissary somewhere in Western
Virginia. For the present therefore I shall not do anything further, as
I deem it proper to be guided by your wishes. |
| I have been afraid that the
Seabd ??? {Seaboard & Roanoke RR} in the
Bay Co may be imperrilled; If there would be any object in it I could
probably have the transfers of it made to you: as you are aware I occupy
a very absolute position in the management of that Compys affairs, Mr
Wilson being very nominal. Cousin Wirt proposed to me to take both
offices, but I explained to him that unless Mr. W. should voluntarily
resign it would not be wise for me to do so & I do not think Mr W has
any idea of resigning. I have looked forward to the Seabd interest in
the Bay probably proving the means of enabling the company to relay
their road on a cessation of war. Much of the iron has been taken from
the road and the Confedt Government is threatening to take the balance.
It is a question of serious importance to consider by what means the
Company will be able at once to obtain funds for the purchase of iron:
All the unpaid dividends have been invested in Confedt 8 1/2 pr cts, &
we have purchased $60,000 of the bonds whose interest is payable either
in specie or cotton at 6 ? but these will scarcely be available for the
immediate purchase of iron, & supplies. The Seabd Co have declared a
dividend of 7 pr ct for six months payable Octr 1st; the money was car??
the Stockholders here needed it, & although the value of the property is
daily depreciating, there is nothing in which these funds could be
invested with a view to ultimate repairs of road and machinery. I
mentioned to you I think that I had almost doubled receipts by the
attention I have been able to give to the Company's affairs since May:
this will evidence to you Mr W's great neglect and during a time that he
was the only executive officer of the Company continuing to draw a
salary. |
| I neglected to say to you that
Mr Myers wished you to place to his credit about L300 with Gilliat, &
Co, replenished it as he used from it: I mentioned to him as you
requested me to do that you had managed funds of his in your hands as if
it was your own. |
| It is evident to me that I
must devote myself solely to the interests of the Seabd Company on a
return of peace until its affairs are re-established. I will be obliged
probably as soon as possible to you to England for the purchase of iron,
leaving the management of the Company's affairs in Pendleton's hands
during my absence. I think a great deal will depend upon a prompt
re-opening of the line, and that there is a strong prospect that under
good management the Seabd road will become a most successful enterprise. |
| I hope that the war my end
with Lincoln's administration; if it does not, I see little in the
future to hope for. |
| I was glad to hear of Bev; I
felt sure that he would like France as soon |
| {end of document in
the archive} |
| {Though the signature
page is missing, there is not doubt the signature would be:} |
| Jno M Robinson
{Captain & AQM} |