Headquarters Military District of Florida
| Tallahassee, January 2, 1865 |
| |
| General Samuel Cooper, |
| Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond |
| |
| General, |
| The possession of Savannah by the enemy separates
our line of railroads in Florida from the other ones of the
Confederacy. Besides the necessity of getting the supplies of sugar,
molasses, pork, and beef out of the State, it may be desired
hereafter to remove the iron now on these railroads for use in the
central parts of the Confederacy. Of this iron there is over 25,000
tons in the State, besides about 18,000 tons on the Live Oak
connection and the Savannah and Gulf road, west of the Altamaha
River. The shortest and most obvious route for this is by Quincy to
the Chattahoochee River, at Appalaga. This would require the
construction of a road twenty-two rods {miles}
in length, over good ground, with easy
grade. This was the contemplated continuance of the road from Quincy
{by the Pensacola & Georgia
Railroad}, and has been surveyed and
the levels run. There are nine miles of iron on the Jacksonville
road {Florida, Atlantic & Gulf
Central} taken up and now at Lake City,
and eight miles of iron on the Florida Railroad, extending from
Baldwin toward Fernandina. This would leave but five miles to be
provided. This could be taken from the road extending from
Tallahassee to Saint Mark's {the
Tallahassee Railroad}, or from the
terminus of the Florida Railroad at Cedar Keys. |
| I forward these facts for the
consideration of the War Department. If the objects should be
considered sufficient to warrant the labor and expenditure, I will,
as commander of the district, use my best energies to forward the
work. |
| Mr. Howard, the Government
attorney, is using all his energies to obtain a decision in the case
of the Florida Railroad Company, which will probably terminate
favorably to the Government. |
| I am, general, very
respectfully, your obedient servant, |
| W. Miller |
| Brigadier-General, Commanding |
|