| Office Ala & Miss Rivers Railroad |
| Demopolis Ala 20th May 1864 |
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J W DuBois Esq
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Govt Agt. for Impressing Negroes
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Dear Sir,
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The requisition made for hands to complete the River
connection of this Road made in March last called for 350 negroes, we
have received as yet, but 89 of these 45 have runaway, most of them
before commencing work. The government are now engaged in constructing
a Bridge over the Tombigbee and have contracted the work to reliable
parties to be completed by the 1st of October next, it is of the
utmost importance that the road should be completed as soon as the
Bridge. To do this work in time the full number of 350 negroes will be
immediately required and measures should be taken to ensure an
effective force of that number constantly on the work. I would further
state that many of the negroes are old, cripples or otherwise unfit
for service, also that many of them are sent here without shoes and
are consequently not able to perform full work. Will you please insist
upon the owners furnishing shoes with their negroes and make some
arrangement by which they can be supplied by the government at the
price charged to the owners.
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Ys vy Respectfully
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M. B. Prichard
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Ch. Engr. & Gen Suprt
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Ala. & Miss. Rivers R. R.
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P. S. I would further state that about 4 miles of the Road runs
through the Tombigbee bottoms subject to overflow and that if this
portion of the work is not completed, or nearly by November it cannot
be done before the spring or summer of the next year.
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M. B. Prichard
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