LVA, RF&P 9/20/1864

{From the minutes of the Directors' Meeting of the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac RR, September 20, 1864}

 
   The President reported to the Board the reconstruction of the North Anna Bridge by the Company with the aid of the Government and which had been understood by both the officers of the Company and by Col A L Rives of the C S Engineer Bureau (by whom the work has been proposed on the part of the Government to the Company) at the exclusive expense of the Government; and that upon the temporary withdrawal by the Government of its force employed on this work it was then first announced that the Secretary of War & Maj Genl Gilmer Chief of the Engineer Bureau did not agree with Col Rives & the officers of this Company in their understanding of the terms on which this and the South Anna Bridge were to be rebuilt by the force of the Government and of this Company but were willing only to contribute assistance to the Company in the execution of the cost, but not to defray the entire expense of it. The President referred to correspondence & interviews between those officers & himself upon this subject and submitted to the Board the question whether the Company should proceed with the reconstruction of the South Anna Bridge with the aid proposed by the Government, together with estimates of the cost of the work, of the amt of tolls pr month which without it would be paid by the Company for the use by its freight trains of the Va Central Rail Road & other facts & considerations affecting that question, whereupon on motion
   Resolved, that although the Directory of this Company considers that the reconstruction of its Bridges over the North  South Anna Rivers at the exclusive expense of the Government, would be only just to this Company in view of its former rebuilding of all its bridges at its own exclusive expense; yet under existing circumstances they will not insist on such a condition, but will proceed to finish this work with the assistance promised by the Government in the correspondence & interviews with Col Rives of the Engineer Bureau.

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