| Canton, Miss., April 6, 1864 |
| |
| Lieutenant-General Polk |
| Demopolis {on the Alabama
& Mississippi Rivers RR} |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| Our teams and bridge force arrived here
on Sunday. I was here some days ahead of them. General Lee ordered
the necessary cavalry force in to impress the necessary labor, but
subsequent orders received from you induced him to withdraw them,
which left us without the slightest ability to execute the work
under orders. We have been telegraphing you for three days for
further orders. Could get no answer until today, when Major
Whitfield received orders to take his bridge force and proceed to Jackson
and complete the Southern {of Mississippi} road
first. This of course stops all work here, but I have arranged with
each of the companies to hire a small force and go to work
straightening iron and preparing to lay track, so that when Major W.
returns he can push the work much more vigorously. By finishing the
Southern road first it enables us to work from both ends of this at
the same time. General Lee is much opposed to rebuilding this road;
thinks it will be labor lost, and was much more opposed to it after
he was ordered away with a portion of his force. He, however,
ordered General Adams to give us the cavalry force, if you reissued
the order after getting the dispatches. Labor is exceedingly scarce
here, but I think it can be obtained. Major Whitfield was also
exceedingly anxious to go to Southern road first. I hope you will
instruct him to return here as soon as the Southern road is through.
I go from here to North Mississippi
to hear from and probably remove my family. Will return and join
Whitfield in two weeks. By that time I hope he will be through on
Southern road and ready to go to work here. The work on that road is
all bridging, and will need no attention from me. I will return here
before I am wanted, and in the meantime will get all the forces to
work on this road that I can by hiring. Major W. is opposed to
impressing without keeping the negroes under his own charge and
under guard, and there is not a sufficient force here now that can
be spared to impress and guard the negroes.
|
| Yours, truly,
|
| Sam Tate {President,
Memphis & Charleston RR} |
|