| Chief Provost Marshal's Office, First
Dist. Ala. |
| Mount Hope, Ala., April 21, 1864 |
| |
| Maj. J. C. Denis |
| |
| Major, |
| I beg leave through you to
make the following statement to the lieutenant-general commanding: |
| In a word, this district is
almost destitute of subsistence for man or beast. There is not corn
enough in this valley to support the citizens if there were no
troops here, and cannot support the troops which are now here over
one month and not that length of time without causing extreme
suffering to the people. |
| Many families are compelled
to suffer or leave here if some means of transporting subsistence is
not provided, for there are no teams to do it. This great scarcity
was caused by Yankee raids carrying off a large portion of negroes
and teams of nearly all the large farms, and the country being
compelled to subsist a large number of our own cavalry who have been
regularly stationed here. The enemy must be forced to fall back so
we can get subsistence from the north side of the Tennessee, or this
district will finally have to be given up if subsistence cannot be
brought from some other place. |
| With a view to the relief of
the citizens who are now subsisting the troops which are or may be
sent here, and of finally forcing the enemy to give up North
Alabama, I would respectfully suggest to the general commanding the
great necessity, propriety, and practicability of speedily repairing
the Mobile & Ohio Railroad to Corinth and the Memphis &
Charleston Railroad from Corinth to Cherokee, in Franklin County,
Ala., 36 miles east of Corinth and within 18 miles of Tuscumbia, and
the cars be placed on the same at the earliest day. If this can be
done it will enable the citizens to procure subsistence to enable
them to raise a good crop this year,
and will afford means of transportation sufficient to
subsist, all the troops that will be likely to be sent into this
section of the country. Cherokee is the key of the valley in going
from the valley to North Mississippi or West Tennessee; would be a
good starting point for any movement into West Tennessee, Middle
Tennessee, or to check any movement of the enemy south from Decatur
or Huntsville. Cherokee is 61 miles from Decatur, dirt road in good
condition; 11 miles from Iuka, and about 8 miles from nearest point
on the river. |
|
In summing up advantages that would arise from
repairing the railroad to Cherokee, it will not be amiss to note
some danger and disadvantages that would have to be overcome and
guarded. |
| Corinth would have to be
occupied, and the enemy could land a force at Eastport, 9 miles from
Iuka, and cut the road at any time if not prevented, but this can be
prevented by placing a few pieces of rifle cannon on the height
below Eastport, which could sink any boat they have sent there for
six months, as their gun-boats are wood. |
| By preventing these boats
from running above Eastport it will check the extensive trade that
is regularly transacted between the Yankees and people of North
Alabama in cotton, &c. |
| In order to place the
condition of the road and the amount of damage done to it before the
lieutenant-general I have sent an officer to Corinth with
instructions to minutely inspect the road from that place to
Cherokee. He did so, and you will find his report herewith inclosed,
which shows the road to be in much better condition than I supposed,
and that it can be placed in order with but very little labor,
compared with the inestimable benefits and conveniences which would
result from its repair. |
| The road from Cherokee to
Tuscumbia, a distance of 18 miles, the track is at least one-half
torn up and a great many of the ties burnt; from Tuscumbia to
Courtland, 23 miles, is badly damaged, nearly all of the rails torn
up and burnt and the ties burnt; from Court-land to Decatur, 22
miles, the road is but very little damaged. |
| I hope that the general will
give this matter due consideration, and will pardon me for intruding
my suggestions upon his consideration. |
| Very respectfully, your obedient servant, |
| Jno. W. Estes |
| Lieut. Col. and Chief Provost Marshal
First Dist. Ala. |
| |
| First indorsement |
| Office Provost Marshal General |
| Demopolis, April 28, 1864 |
| |
| Respectfully forwarded to Lieut. Col. T.
M. Jack, assistant adjutant-general. |
| J. C. Denis |
| Provost Marshal General |
| |
| Second indorsement |
| Headquarters |
| Demopolis, Ala., April 29, 1864 |
| |
| Respectfully
referred to Major Peters, chief quartermaster, for his information
and recommendation in the premises. |
| By command of Lieutenant General Polk |
| Thos. M. Jack |
| Assistant Adjutant General |
| |
| Third indorsement |
| Office Chief Quartermaster |
| Demopolis, April 30, 1864 |
| |
| I recommend that the
suggestions of Lieutenant-Colonel Estes be adopted and the road
promptly and speedily repaired, for the reasons stated by him. |
| Respectfully, &c., |
| Thos. Peters |
| Quartermaster, &c. |
| |
| Inclosure |
| Mount Hope, Ala., April 18, 1864 |
| Lieut. Col. John W. Estes |
| Chief Provost Marshal, District of North
Alabama |
| |
| Colonel, |
| In compliance with Special
Orders, No. 1, office chief provost-marshal First District North
Alabama, I proceeded to Corinth, Miss., and inspected the Memphis
& Charleston Railroad from that point to Cherokee Station. |
| The road from Corinth to
Burnsville, a distance of 15 miles, is in good repair. The bridge
over Yellow Creek, 1 mile east of Burnsville, has been burnt;
one-half of the timbers destroyed. Said bridge is about 80 feet in
length and 10 feet high; could be repaired easily, as good green
timber could be procured within 200 yards of the place. Three and
one-half miles east of Burnsville there is a bridge 60 feet in
length and 10 feet high, which has the trestle on one side cut, the
remainder in good repair. One mile east of this place a bridge of
some length; two trestles and 6 cross-ties burnt. Two miles west of
Iuka, a bridge has been slightly damaged by fire; could be repaired
in two hours. Three miles east of Iuka, the timbers of a cattle-pit,
6 feet in length, have been burnt. From Iuka to Bear Creek, a
distance of 7 miles, the damage to the road consists of a trestle 6
feet high and 30 feet long, totally burnt; bridge over Clear Creek,
40 feet long, 20 feet high, partially destroyed; 19 crossties burnt
and 3 rails torn up. Road in good order from that point to Buzzard
Roost Creek, 1 mile east of Dickson; said bridge is supported by
three trestles, one of which is gone; remaining timbers good. From
Buzzard Roost to Cherokee the road is in good repair. Timber
adequate to repair the damage above mentioned is contiguous to the
road. A large number of cross-ties ready for use are at different
points on the road. An adequate supply of water-tanks, in good
repair, are on the road. General Sherman, in October last, repaired
the road to Cherokee, since which time no damage has been done to
the road except the bridges and trestles mentioned. The rails and
cross-ties generally are in good condition. The citizens have
repaired the road for hand-cars to Iuka. |
| Respectfully submitted, |
| F. L. B. Goodwin |
| Captain |
|