| Superintendents Office |
| Alabama & Florida Railroad Company of
Alabama |
| Montgomery, Ala. |
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May 30th 1863
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Maj A M Barbour
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Chief Q Master
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Western Department
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Sir,
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In accordance with my promise I submit a brief
statement of the facts connected with the seizure by the Government
and the turning over to this and the Mobile & Great Northern
Rail Road Company, of a portion of the outfit of the Ala & Fla
Rail Road of Fla. Their Co running a Road 112 miles long were
entirely unable with their limited outfit consisting of 7 efficient
Engines and 68 Ft Cars only 24 of which were box cars to meet the
pressing demands for Government Transportation and after the failure
of all their efforts to increase their rolling stock either by
purchase or lease on reasonable terms, Genl Forney then Commanding
the Department ordered the Rolling Stock of the Ala & Fla Rl Rd
of Fla (with the exception of an Engine and a few cars -- ample to
do all the business on a Road then only ten miles long) to be
divided between the two Rail Road, forming the line to Mobile.
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His order secured to the owners of the property, by the
award of disinterested and competent parties, just compensation if
they desired to sell, and ample remuneration for their use, if they
preferred to rent. The Road to which the outfit belonged had been
torn up, and the Rolling Stock was lying entirely idle, while the
Government and the public were suffering for the want of that which
was, for the time being surplus and useless property and is still so
as their Road has not been rebuilt & will not be till the close
of the War.
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Under Genl Forneys order this Co received an Engine and
16 cars, and the M&GN R. R. and Engine and 8 cars, all in ???
last, which they have used with the same care bestowed on their own
outfit, and which they are now and have ever been, willing to
restore at any moment when deemed compatible with the public
interest.
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I think your own experience of the difficulty of
procuring prompt Transportation from this point even with the aid of
the River, will satisfy you that it would be bad policy in the
Government to allow much less to demand, the withdrawal of so
large a portion of the outfit of a Road which is now a very
important line of communication, and may by reason of low water in
the Ala River (already at a low stage) become the only available
channel of communication between the Eastern & Western portions
of the Confederacy. In view then of the necessity of keeping the
Road in a condition to meet the requirements of Government
Transportation, and in view of the fact that the Road owning the
Engine & cars ordered to be returned is suspended and has no use
for its Rolling Stock, and is at the same time amply secured against
loss from our use of it. This Co would respectfully ask that the
order (a copy of which I enclose) requiring its restoration be
withdrawn.
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Very Respectfully
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Yr obdt Servt
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Saml G Jones
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Engr & Supt
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