OR, Series 1, Vol. 24, Part 3, Page 627

Office Mississippi Central Railroad Company
Grenada, February 16, 1863
 
Hon. James A. Seddon, Secretary of War, Richmond
 
Dear Sir,
   I herewith inclose a copy of a letter addressed to Lieut. Gen. J. C. Pemberton, in answer to charges made against this road for delays in the transportation of troops from Grenada to Jackson, Miss. I have only to add to my reply to General Pemberton that there is just enough of truth in the charges made by General Bowen to give the semblance of truth to the whole, yet in almost all particulars they are untrue.
Yours, &c.,
W. Goodman, President
 
[Inclosure]
Office Mississippi Central Railroad Company
Grenada, February 14, 1863
 
Lieut. Gen. J. C. Pemberton, C. S. A., Comdg. Army of Miss.
 
Dear Sir,
   I have received the communication of your assistant adjutant-general, R. W. Memminger, of the 5th instant, inclosing a copy of a letter of Brigadier-General [J. S.] Bowen, of the 31st of January, addressed to Lieut. Col. J. R. Waddy, assistant adjutant-general, in reference to the delay in the transportation of troops from Grenada to Jackson. In reply to the letter and charges made by Brigadier-General Bowen, I have to remark that this road is not chargeable with any delays occurring after the arrival of trains at Canton, the southern terminus of our road. So far as this road is concerned, I pronounce the charges made in the letter of General Bowen as untrue, except in a few cases of accidental detention occasioned by trains running off the track, accidents that do and will occur on the best managed roads. I ask, and think I have a right to claim, the most rigid examination into the truth or falsity of the charges made.
   During the movement of troops from Grenada, some three, perhaps four, trains were delayed at different times by up, and in one case a down, train running off the track. The longest detention was six hours, others for a shorter period of time. In one or two cases trains were delayed from one to three hours for want of fuel, our wood at our principal station, Vaiden, having been consumed by troops stationed there, although we had used every means at our command to protect it for the use of our engines.
   It is true there was an undue proportion of flat-cars in the trains, but that was no fault of ours. On the first intimation from Major Banks, chief quartermaster at Grenada, that a large amount of transportation for troops would probably be soon required, I stated to him that out of 500 cars belonging to the road not more than 50 or 60 were on the road in running order; that most of the residue had been taken from our road by military authority and in use on the New Orleans and Jackson {New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern RR}, the Southern {of Mississippi}, and Mobile & Ohio roads, for the purpose of transporting sugar and others freights for military or private speculation; that many of the cars had been absent for six months, notwithstanding my frequent application to the officers of the roads and military authorities to have them returned, and I could not supply the number of cars he required unless ours were returned or cars belonging to other roads were ordered on to ours. Major Banks promised to order our cars home. They did not come, and we were dependent upon other roads for cars, and were required to take such as they sent, many of them being in an unsafe condition.
   Nearly all the trains were detained at Grenada from six to thirty-six hours for loading, and I am quite sure the troops must have suffered quite as much by their detention at Grenada, exposed to snow, sleet, and rain, as they did during the transit. As to overloading and crowding, the trains, when ready to receive their freights, were placed at the command of the quartermaster who superintended the movement of troops, and, if overloaded, it was done by military authority, and often in opposition to our protestations. Many of the box-cars, perhaps most of them, were used for the transportation of horses belonging to commanders, and the men were placed on platform cars, and this by direction of those claiming the right of directing how the cars should be loaded, and not by direction of railroad officials.
   If the cars are or were in bad condition, it is no fault of the railroad officials; it has been occasioned often by malicious destruction by troops in transit, without interference of their commanders, and the wanton destruction of material prepared for their repairs for fuel, simply because it happened to be well seasoned. As to worthlessness of engines, I have only to remark the charge made by General Bowen may be true, but this I know, that no road in the Confederate States ever had better equipments than the Central had one year ago, and, if his charge is true, it is because the Government has become the purchaser of all the materials that are required to repair engines, and refuse to permit railroads to obtain them when they may be found, and for the additional reason that Government officials are permitted to enter our workshops and entice away our mechanics by offering them increased wages.
   I have neglected to state that in one, perhaps two, cases trains with troops were detained at stations between Grenada and Canton twelve or more hours, by direction of the officers in command of the troops thereon, in consequence, as I am informed, of the inclemency of the weather. Now, I state, and can prove, that our trains were run from Grenada to Canton in from nine to eleven hours, with the exceptions herein referred to, and that there was no unnecessary detention except from accidental causes. I also state, and can prove, that trains were detained at Grenada from six to thirty-six hours after their arrival by military officials, when by due diligence they could have been loaded in three hours. I deny that there were box-cars at way Stations on the line of road in safe running order, except such as were sent to such stations by military requisition, for the purpose of transporting provisions to the army, it being stated that the troops were without bread and the cars must be provided without fail. I think I can convince any man possessing practical business information that the charges made in the communication of General Bowen are in the main untrue, and that all are based on slight foundation. I feel quite confident that "these railroad officials" referred to are quite as competent to manage the affairs intrusted to them as the military officials are to manage theirs, and that they have at all times and on all occasions exhibited as much zeal, made as great sacrifices for the public good, and are actuated by as patriotic motives in the discharge of their respective duties as any general or other military officer. That they will continue to do so, I do not doubt, until those military officers who make such groundless charges have been brought to "their senses," if a thing so devoutly desired can be effected.
With respect, I am your obedient servant,
W. Goodman
President

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