| Richmond, Feby 15, 1864 |
| |
| Major S. B. French |
| CS |
| Richmond VA |
| |
| Major, |
| Having just returned from the
duty assigned to me by the Commissary General as contained in your
letter of the 14th ulto: and seen that delays and obstructions attending
shipments of corn from Georgia to this point had been removed, I propose
now to submit for your consideration the result of my observations and
investigations. |
| The Army of Northern Virginia
can only be sustained by getting through from Southwestern Georgia:
where there is an ample supply, its subsistence. The troops of General
Beauregard can be well sustained from the resources of Southeastern
Georgia and Florida, and those of Genl Johnston can obtain an abundance
from Northern Georgia and Alabama. So there is food enough in the
country for the sustenance of all our troops. One thing alone is lacking
-- the facility of transportation. The immediate attention of the
Government should be called to this subject, and the remedy applied at
once. Otherwise our armies will become impotent and must disband, and
our country over run and lost. Our Rail Roads without assistance cannot
keep up their repairs, and as now managed, are utterly inadequate to
meet with any degree of promptness the requirements in transportation
for all the Departments of the Government. In this exigency such
Departments that could suspend operations in part, continuing only those
that were indispensably necessary must so -- at least until the
difficulty in question is removed. |
| If the Navy Department with
the best mechanics in the country, and the most extensive work shops
appliances and material can be brought to the relief and contribute to
the repairs of Roads, Cars and Engines -- even to building them when
essential, the evil will soon be remedied. |
| But immediate aid is required.
And this can only be had by obtaining absolute control of the Roads. The
heavy transportation of private freights -- the immense freighting
business carried on by the Southern Express Company must be arrested.
This Express Company instead of confining its business to the shipment
of packages as hitherto, has a large number of cars of its own, and is
heavily engaged in transporting cotton and other bulky articles from one
end of the country to the other. If a stop is put to all this, material
and immediate relief will be afforded. The suspension as far as can be,
of transportation for the Navy will also bring relief. If these things
are not done and at once, you may despair of bringing food to our
troops: but let these suggestions be enforced, and in a few months, with
the aid of the Navy Department all deficiencies of transportation can be
supplied. With that aid, the Atlantic & Gulf road of Georgia which
extends only to Thomasville could soon be carried to its terminus. The
Florida Roads could be brought in close connection with the Atlantic &
Gulf Road, and transportation for hundreds of miles would be saved. A
new road of about twenty miles in extent would secure this important
end. |
| The West Point & Montgomery Road
which is heavily pressed and which is the great outlet for Iron & Coal;
and subsistence from the rich country around and tributary to
Montgomery, could be easily placed in good running condition: and the
guage of this road should be widened so as to conform to that of those
connecting with it. Through this Road the army of Genl Johnston will be
largely dependent for its supplies of subsistence. The important Road
between Danville Va and Greensboro NCa could also be brought to a speedy
completion. |
| These improvements are all
highly essential, and I deem it my duty to urge through you, the early
consideration of my suggestions by the proper authorities. |
| The loss in the transportation
of grain from Georgia to Virginia, say from Macon to Augusta, & thence
to Columbia thence to Charlotte, on to Raleigh, to Gaston, to Petersburg
and thence to Richmond, is immense. I compute the losses from the
frequent breaking of bulk and carless & hurried handling at not less
than twenty per cent. One fifth of a shipment of corn from Macon
to Richmond is lost from wastage! In view of this, and of the fact that
post commissaries cannot as they have been instructed give their
personal attention at the Depots, with the uncertain arrival of freight
trains, and attend to their other duties. I earnestly recommend that an
efficient officer of the Commissary Department be stationed at the end
of every road, to give exclusive and particular attention to the prompt
shipment and careful handling of all commissary stores. Consignments
should be made to him, with authority to give receipts, taking care that
in all cases the conditions & stipulations of the bill of lading are
faithfully executed. If packages should be received in bad order when
this order on shipment was good, the road should be held responsible:
and if the rod had not the proper appliances and materials at command,
as appeared to me to have been invariably the case, the officer should
be prepared to furnish them, and the attending expenses charged to the
road and so endorsed on the receipt. With an energetic business man at
every terminus of a road, more ready transportation would be and there
would be little or no loss from wastage, and every road could be held
accountable for its delinquencies: and whenever a train could be sent
forward on another road, so as to avoid breaking bulk, it should be
done. |
| I am satisfied from my own
observation that Post Commissaries cannot give personal attention to all
this, other duties enpols (?) the, and the same remark will apply to
transportation agents of the Qr Masters Department. |
| It is unpracticable I
apprehend to change the present order of things so as to confine the
purchase of corn to one Department. A great benefit would however result
from this. When deliveries were made at leading Depositories, the
article could be meted out either to the Commissar or Qr Master
according to the supply and the exigency of demand. |
| Awaiting your further
instructions, |
| I am, Major |
| Very Respectfully |
| Wm H Smith |
| Major & CS |
|