War Department, C. S. A.
| Richmond,
Va., April 8, 1864 |
| |
| Maj.
Gen. George E. Pickett |
| Commanding, Petersburg, Va. |
| |
| General, |
| It has become a matter of strict military
necessity that six miles of iron should be at once taken and removed
from the Charlotte and Statesville Railroad, in North Carolina, for
the completion of the Piedmont Railroad, which will be ready for its
track as soon as the iron can arrive. I have sent from here a
detachment of engineer troops to remove the iron, and have ordered
the officer in charge to report by letter to you. I must ask you to
sustain this action with your authority, as commander of the
department, on the ground of positive necessity, and it might be
well for you to send a discreet officer to the point to direct
operations and meet any contingency of possible opposition. I rely
upon your prompt attention to this.
|
| Respectfully, |
| James A. Seddon |
|