OR, Series 1, Vol. 53, Page 383

Headquarters Military Division of the West
Charleston, S. C., December 20, 1864
 
Maj. Gen. J. F. Gilmer
Chief of Engineer Bureau, Richmond, Va.
 
General,
   Your telegram and letter of the 16th instant were duly received, and in reply to the latter (the former having already been answered) I have the honor to state that Major Willis, my chief quartermaster, an active and energetic officer, has been instructed to call on the two railroad officers mentioned in your letter and to represent to them, in my name, the importance of the early repair of the roads, and to proceed to impress the iron from the different branch roads and any other that may be needed, should the aforesaid railroad officials fail to comply with the request to use the iron on branch roads to repair the main lines. Generals Cobb and Fry, at Macon and Augusta, have been ordered to aid Major Willis in every way in their power, and His Excellency the Governor of Georgia has also been requested to lend his aid and influence in carrying out the wishes of the War Department to avert the disasters which may arise from want of prompt action in this matter. My quartermaster has also been ordered to impress all necessary labor and teams, and to make arrangements to clothe and ration the one and forage the other. This is absolutely necessary, and it is hoped it will meet with the approval of the War Department. Further, I have deemed it best to concentrate the whole labor force now on the two roads (the Georgia and the Central {of Georgia}) on the line of communication between West Point, Atlanta, and Augusta, for by so doing one line, it is hoped, will be opened in four or five weeks, whereas by distributing the force, neither line would be opened in double the time. At least ten miles of iron will be required on each road both east and west of Atlanta. The iron on the Camak branch I have ordered to be impressed for the road between Augusta and Atlanta. Major Meriwether, it is understood, has promised iron for this route beyond Atlanta. I have directed trestle-work to take the place of bridges destroyed, as it will not require half the time to put up the trestle that it will to rebuild bridges. I have thus, as briefly as possible, stated what measures I have adopted to meet the wishes of the Department, and regret that military operations have prevented an earlier answer to your letter and prevent me from giving more of my time to the reopening of communication, the importance of which I fully appreciate, and had already ordered when in Macon.
Respectfully, general, your obedient servant,
P. G. T. Beauregard
General

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