| Quartermaster General's Department |
| Richmond, Nov. 7th 1864 |
| |
| Capt. Thos. R. Sharp |
| A Q Master |
| Columbia, S. C. |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have attentively considered your
communication of 25th ultimo, relative to the shipment of Govt. stores
to points at which there is no officer or agents of this office. After
having referred the same to Maj. D. H. Wood for his view thereon,
& I have now to inform you, that the proposition to ship such
stores upon bills of lading receipts by consignees is not approved. |
| It would doubtless frequently happen as
suggested by Maj. Wood that the consignees would not be at the Depot
to accept & it would devolve on the R. Road Agents, so now to
receipt for the stores. |
| In the same connection, I have considered
the suggestion contained in a communication recently received at this
office from Thos. B. Jeter Esq. President of the Spartanburg &
Union R. R. Co. as to the appointment of an agent at Alston who shall
be authorized to give transportation, & designating the names of
F. H. Courts who is the agent of the S&U RR Co., C. V. Carrington
& J. J. Welch as persons possessing the requisite qualifications
etc for the appointment. |
| Maj. C. M. Smith QM who is charged with
the settlement of RR accounts also represents the importance of
assigning an officer or agent to this duty, to protect the interests
both of the Govt. & of the R. Road. |
| In view of all the facts that have been
presented, I am of the opinion that some system should be adopted to
accomplish the end proposed, but I am not satisfied that the possible
interests involved are of sufficient magnitude & importance to
warrant the assignment of an officer or the appointment of a regular
Transportation Agent for this specific & exclusive duty. |
| I have therefore determined to authorize
you, to designate a suitable person exempt from liability to military
service, & who in view of the limit of compensation fixed may be
an employee of the R. Road, for appointment as clerk or agent at
Alston & another for duty at Newberry, to attend to this business. |
| Each of these clerks or agents will be
required to give bond in the sum of Five thousand Dollars, for the
faithful discharge of his duties, & will be allowed the sum of one
hundred Dollars a month, in full for his services. |
| You are requested to give prompt personal
attention to this matter, & to take immediate steps to carry out
the arrangement above indicated, reporting your action in the
premises, & the names of the persons recommended to this office.
Transportation vouchers heretofore issued for the S&U RR will be
examined & when proper, approved by you. |
| A. R. Lawton QrMG. |