| Wilmington & Weldon Railroad Company |
| Office Chief Engineer and Superintendent |
| Wilmington, N. C., Dec 31 1864 |
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Lt Col F. W. Sims
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Sir,
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Your telegram to me requesting trains to be sent to the
aid of the N. C. R. R. Co was duly received and replied to the same
day. A request was immediately sent to the Atlantic {&
North Carolina} RR Co to send ten of their trains to
Greensboro to bring troops this way.
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The reply was they could not have with their light
Engines more than six or seven cars attached to each and that
the N. C. Road had or could get abundance of aid from R&G {Raleigh
& Gaston RR} Western NC and {Wilmington,}
Charlotte & Rutherford Roads. Further they (Major
Whitfield) thought we would need all the means of transportation we
had here as many other troops ??? Hokes command were to be moved.
Consequently no aid was supplied by me to Mr Sumner {Superintendent,
North Carolina RR} Nor could I ??? him on the subject tho I
telegraphed him very fully to let me know his wants if any.
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My own opinion is that every little if any delay
occurred east of the "Piedmont Road."
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Gen Hagood told me he was 60 hours going 48 miles on
that road and that sundry men froze to death. That a?? compound of
having to stop & cut wood for the Engines.
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I am not here to complain of any one not under my
control.
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I will suggest however for the benefit of any future
movement in this direction that they should by all means take the
route most qualified.
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The troops of Genl Hoke could have been here on Sunday
??try taken that route (??? machinery to Bellville. They could have
reached Wilmington in 24 hours ???? of the Railroad and Greesamt two
days marching would have put them at Baltfield.
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I had supposed we ??? pretty well move out but ??
accounts I hear from the ??? movement on the NC Rail Road (??? they
could only have 10 cars ??? ??? best En??) I think that Road has
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I am respectfully
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Your obt sevt
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S. L. Fremont
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Chf Eng Supt
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{The writing is very had to make out -- there
are many write-overs and bleed-throughs from the reverse page. The
message is clear, even though I cannot make out every word.}
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