NA, ENG 7/4A/1863

Engineer Bureau
July 4th 1863
 
Capt. E. T. D. Myers Corps Engrs PACS
Richmond, Va.
 
Captain,
   I have received your letter of yesterday, reporting that you had informed the Board of Directors of the Piedmont Railroad Co. of your intention to be relieved of duty on that road about the 15th proximo.
   This work, on which you have been engaged from the beginning, is one of the first importance, as you are well aware and its early completion is much desired by the Government and to this end every effort has been made by the War Department to assist the Piedmont Company in the construction. It is still desired to do every thing possible to forward the work. Your full knowledge of all past operations in the prosecution of the enterprise makes it important that you should conduct it to its completion.
   To entrust the direction in the future to another officer would, it is feared, result in delay. I must therefore that you will not urge to be relieved entirely from all communication with the road, as proposed in your letter. The Bureau is well satisfied that you have done all that was possible for the engineer to do, in furtherance of this important connection and that your past experience will enable you to bring the work to completion sooner than any other officer I could assign to the task.
   As an officer of the Confederate Service, will you please to give me your views with reference to a more active prosecution of the road. Is there, in your opinion any different policy that could be adopted that would ensure satisfactory results. If such should be your opinion you will please to state what it is with particularity, and you r reasons in support of such opinion.
I am Sir, Very Respy Yr Obt Servt
J. F. Gilmer
Col Engrs & Chf of Bu

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