| Wilmington |
| Aug 5th 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} |
| |
| I avail myself of a steamer
that is about to sail directly from here to Halifax. I think you might
communicate with me very safely by enclosing letters to some
acquaintance in Halifax to be mailed to the care of Major N. S. Walker
St Georges Bermuda: I suggest this course for I have not heard from
Mother or yourself for months and communication is very easy now through
the Port of Wilmington 15 or 20 vessels arriving or leaving each moon.
By inquiring the date of sailing of the Bermuda boat from Halifax I
would often receive your letters in 3 or 4 weeks from their date. I now
regret having advised the Government against taking absolute possession
of the three roads for as I was the victim selected to manage them I am
convinced my task would have been executed more satisfactorily than it
has been with the local control still vested in their respective
Superintendents. My position as Gen. Mility Supt of these lines has
given me an opportunity of looking closely after the much neglected
interests of our Seabd road {Seaboard & Roanoke
RR}, & I have the satisfaction of having almost doubled its
receipts in the last three months with a prospect of even greater
results. True these receipts are in a vastly depreciated currency, but
very necessary to the stockholders. You can readily judge that I impinge
very closely upon what would be in ordinary times a very liberal income,
but which at present high prices does not much more than suffice for the
support of Henry and myself. This you will readily appreciate on
learning that board is $30 per day & other necessaries are held at
proportionate rates. When I write of having increased the receipts of
the S. & R. Co so largely you will naturally ask "how it was
accomplished." Mr W's inattention to details was such that the rents
paid by other companies for the use of engines & cars of ours was at the
time I resumed active control only the same that had been paid when
currency was at its full specie value, although rents were freely
offered for five times those amounts. Of course I at once commenced to
place our demands at ruling rates as contracts would terminate, & I
raised our tolls to the full points authorized by the Board of Public
Works. Thus notwithstanding heavy expenditures we will probably be able
to divide 7 pr ct for the six months past. On the 11th of July the rent
of the Weldon bridge terminated & the offer for a renewal of it was made
at $27,500 on the contract to extend for six months; This the Petersburg
Company declined to accede to. The Government who are interested for the
transportation of their own freight deemed my offer liberal & urged upon
Mr Sanford, who is now President of the company in place of Mr Joynes
who resigned for a judgeship, to accept it. This he again declined & I
think foolishly proposed to be allowed to take up his track from
Bellfield to Garys & to run only to Gaston. The Govt however view the
matter differently and are debating the propriety of taking down the
Gaston bridge to replace the one at Weldon if it should be destroyed &
of using the iron of the Gaston branch elsewhere. In the meantime we
have received a guarantee of 27,500 and half cost of repairs from the
Government & Mr Sanford {President, Petersburg RR}
has the option of putting down his private freight and passengers
at Garys or of collecting our tolls for us on his trains. So far he has
preferred the latter course although very much annoyed at the necessity
that urges him to do so. Mr. S. has provoked me to the utmost & has
attempted to practice so much illiberality or what could be even more
harshly expressed, towards this company that I feel anxious to show him
that we are not disposed to be trifled with. The company's road to
Blackwater is in very fair condition; between Blackwater and Suffolk the
iron has been taken away. Our machinery and cars are much depreciated.
Under these conditions our surplus earnings ought to be reserved for the
future but it is almost impossible to invest except in Govt Securities
and of these we already hold a large amount. Although I have not yet
heard from you in reply to a letter I wrote in which I mentioned having
settled with the R.F.&P. Co {Richmond,
Fredericksburg & Potomac RR} & with Cousin Wirt I trust you
received it. Besides the 50 & odd thousand dollars due from the receipts
of the sale of the P. boats the Frady Co claimed a balance of a running
account of which I know nothing; this was for mail pay, drafts to your
favor, collecting etc balanced in small part by payment made by them in
your favor & by you for them. I enclosed to you long since a full
statement of this account. Knowing your anxiety to know that this large
claim upon your means was settled, I paid the whole amount claimed by
the R.&F. Company, receiving from them an indemnity bond for what I may
have overpaid, to be determined by a statement to be received from you.
The terms of the settlement with the Company & Cousin Wirt were one half
in stocks of the Seabd and Fredg roads at 73 & one half in Treasury
notes. The R{ichmond} & Petersburg Company
claim that you owe them a balance for mail pay collected by you. I said
to Mr Ellis that if I learned from you that such a claim existed & the
amount of it, I would settle it on terms similar to the settlement made
with the Fredg Company. |
| Mr Rives and Dr Mills appear
to object to settling their claims at this time & so prefer that they
should remain until a return of peace. I have written again to both
telling them that they must recollect that their claims are based only
on the U. S. Treasury notes received from time to time by you & that
these are constantly depreciating. I hope that they will both agree to
conclude a settlement. If not of course I can do nothing more. I have
not been able so far to obtain traces of William Horner. Mr Myers
requested me to ask you to keep a balance of about L300 to his credit in
London & to advise him of it that he may be able to use it when he
wishes to make purchases in Europe. I think he would like to know what
disposal you have made of funds of his in your hands, although he has
not requested it. |
| I am particularly anxious to
receive your statement of the Fredg account above referred to, for the
balance they will owe if I have overpaid them if large, will be
important to me in case Mr Rives and Dr Mills agree to a settlement. The
Fredg Co will scarcely declare a dividend for the next six months, for
their road has been very much injured by the Yankees, & the position of
the armies having been changed from Northern Virginia their receipts
have been greatly diminished. The principal receipts from operating the
S, road have for some time been derived from a very heavy trade carried
on between the lines in exchanging cotton for meat; those exquisite
scoundrels Butler and Shipley being pretty largely interested in the
trade & our people needing the meat much more than the cotton. The real
estate yet remains out of my control. I hope the Courts will settle that
question early in the fall, for the property is suffering. All that I
can do is to see that the taxes are paid. For two setts of taxes I have
paid on the land claimed by Goddin, & from neglect of it I am in hopes
that he has concluded to drop his claim. Please send me a copy of your
agreement with Brooks, or if that cannot be done let me know the date
upon which it expires. Our relatives are in their usual health. Uncle
John writes to me cheerfully; he has not suffered by the war &
comparatively is I imagine not worse off than before it. He expresses
uneasiness about Bennett's long confinement, & for fear that Stevens who
has just entered service may not be sufficiently matured to stand the
fatigue of it, & the liability to sickness to one not used to the summer
climate about Petersburg. Aunt Octave is at Rockland for the summer with
her family. Henry is improving and is staying in Bedford with his Aunt
Mrs Irvine. Fanny I have not seen since her cousin's death, but I
understand she has been so handsomely provided for as to be now almost
wealthy; she and Mrs Brown are devoted & will scarcely be separated,
unless Fanny should marry. Cary is in splendid health & endures his
hardships with the best spirit; he is a splendid fellow. Since he has
been near Petersburg I have arranged to supply him with fresh provisions
once a week & from an ample stock of many things that Lady Eardley was
kind enough to send me, to supply his wardrobe to a certain extent. It
is not in my power to do much for poor Cary, but Aunt Sue may rest
assured that I will do for him all that I would for Bev were he
similarly situated. I wish Cary had a commission but I cannot procure
one for him; I know of nothing that speaks so badly for the system upon
which our army has been organized than that a young man of Cary's birth
& education should be in the ranks after having fought with the most
distinguished bravery through so many battles & that men who are vastly
his inferiors should be serving in high positions. Although I have been
in Petersburg constantly since Grant's army has been before it I have
been so busy that I have been unable to see him; one day I went out to
the trenches but did not find him. Willie Myers and Poor are with
Breckinridge & were in the Valley and Maryland campaign with him. Mr and
Mrs M. and Miss Fanny & the proposed new member of the family Mattie P.
are anxious but yet bear the risk Will incurs very cheerfully The family
appears to be each day more delighted with Will's future bride &
constantly speak of the cheerfulness her advent will make to the house. |
| Many are the surmises made
with regard to the approaching elections at the North. There is a strong
belief that if a Democratic candidate is elected, an honorable peace
will follow but if otherwise that the war may continue through another
four years unless brought to a close by the condition of finances at the
North. These appear to be the views of Mr Myers & of Mr Lawlie. Mr L. is
domiciled at the Myers' with whom he is a great favorite, & he affords
to Mr Myers a vast resource in his companionship. Lawlie speaks of
{end of document found} |
| {Though the signature
page is missing, there is no doubt that the signature would be:} |
| Jno M Robinson
{Captain & AQM} |
|