| President's Office |
| Alabama & Florida Railroad Company of Alabama |
| Montgomery, Ala., 5 December 1861 |
| |
| Gen C J McRae |
| Richmond Va |
| |
| My Dear Sir, |
| The Legislature has passed a Bill
authorizing the extension of the Alabama & Florida {(of
Alabama)} Rail Road to the Depot of the Montgomery & West
Point Rail Road, a connection of great importance to the Govt, but
which unless I can get aid, I cannot accomplish. |
| Enclosed I hand you a Letter from Major
Calhoun the Quarter Master in answer to my enquiry as to the amount
of Drayage paid out by the Govt. You will see that since the 1st day
of April it has amounted to $16,810.63 and will probably reach for
the year $25,000. |
| If the connection between the Roads were
to made the largest proportion of this Expenditure for Drayage will
be saved and very greatly increased expenditures given to every
thing that may be passed through. |
| The cost of making it is in good money $75000
about 1000 feet of Bridging will have to be built to cross the Flat
Lands between the town and depot of the Montgomery & West Point
Rail Road and some valuable property purchased to get the right of
way. |
| This Company now owes the Govt $15,000
-- loans to complete the Road, and which has laid ?? to enable us to
increase our supply of cars by the permission of the Govt and which
yet in number are inadequate to meet the service required of us and
we are now in a worse condition than ever, in consequence of the
opening of the Mobile & Gt Northern Rail Road with a very
limited outfit and the necessity of allowing that Road to use our
Freight Cars. |
| If the Govt will allow us $35,000 in
addition to the $15,000 now due from this Company making the sum of
$50,000, I will set our workers the connection and to pay to work it
??? I will transfer the mail pay free and after the 1st day of July
1862 which will amount to about $20,000 per annum. So this
is 2 1/2 years the amount assured will be paid back and the Govt
will save by the ???, if the war continues not ??? less than the
????? |
| The saving of time in the transfer of
troops may become very important, it takes an average of 5 hours to
move a Regiment and its Baggage & Camp Equipment over from one
Depot to the other. If the connection could be made the transfer
could be made in one hour. The Gauge of the Roads differ so that the
cars of one Road could not run on the Track of the other, but by
having a Platform between the Tracks, the transfer could be made
very rapidly. |
| You will greatly oblige us if you will
bring this matter as seems to us the Govt for consideration. I can
now control in large large force to do the work, and if it is to be
done, there should be no delay about it. |
| Genl Bragg has recently I understand
directed Major Calhoun to remedy the delay in transferring supplies,
he gives in the letters, I submit an estimate of the cost of an
outfit of Drays, to keep up which you will see it will require about
$25,000 per annum. |
| Very respy |
| Your &c |
| Charles T. Pollard |
| |
| {surviving part of attached
letter} |
| Drays required to do the hauling for the Government
at Montgomery Ala and estimated cost of the same |
| |
| 30 |
Double Drays @ 400$ |
12,000 |
00 |
| 60 |
Mules @ 350$ |
21,000 |
00 |
| 30 |
Double Harness 100$ |
3,000 |
00 |
| 20 |
Single Drays 150$ |
7,000 |
00 |
| 20 |
Single Harness 60$ |
1,200 |
00 |
| 10 |
Extra Mules & Horses 330$ |
3,500 |
00 |
| 1 |
Heavy Drayer truck for heavy ordnance |
700 |
00 |
| |
|
$51,400 |
00 |
| |
Wood & forage teams for service of the different
departments & for the use of Regts stationed and passing
through |
|
|
| 12 |
Wagons @ 350$ |
4,200 |
00 |
| 12 |
Setts four horse harnesses 160$ |
1,920 |
00 |
| 84 |
Mules @ 350$ |
29,400 |
00 |
| |
|
$35,520 |
00 |
| |
Expenses for Month Dray Line |
|
|
| 50 |
Drivers pr mo 35$
1750 |
|
|
| 1 |
Wagon Master 4 Horse teams
100 |
|
|
| 1 |
"
2 "
100 |
|
|
| |
Rent of Stable
125 |
|
|
| |
Feeding 90 mules per mo corn
2400 |
|
|
| |
"
hay
945 |
|
|
| |
Watchman
75 |
|
|
| |
Shoeing 90 mules pr mo
540 |
|
|
| |
Repairing Drays and Harnesses pr mo
3500 |
$9,535 |
00 |
| |
Expense per annum |
$114,430 |
00 |
|
| |
| {on next page} |
| The expense per mo of wood & forage teams |
| 84 |
Mules board per mo
2920 |
|
|
| 12 |
Drivers hire Board & clothing pr mo 35$
420 |
|
|
| |
Shoeing 84 mules pr mo 5$
420 |
|
|
| |
Repairing wagons per mo
2400 |
|
|
| 1 |
Wagon Master
100 |
$6260 |
|
|
| |
| The contractor for the transportation
has employed 215 mules almost constantly in the service of the
Government at this post and when not needed by the Government are
not at the expense of the Government. |
| The value of pay established by the city
of Montgomery and pay by the Rail Road Cos are $1.25 per ton of 2000
lbs between Rail Roads and Steamboats. |
| The Government get the same hauling for
$1.00 per ton and estimates the ton at 2240 lbs. |
| The above estimate is most respectfully
submitted |
| Respectfully |
| Yr. Obt Sevt |
| J L Calhoun |
| Maj & AQM CSA |