Atlanta, October 2, 1861
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| Hon. J. P. Benjamin |
| Secretary of War, Richmond, Va. |
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| Dear Sir, |
| In response to your telegram of
yesterday [September 30] I said that I would reply by letter. We
have let the East Tennessee roads have the use of our cars and
engines this summer, and they have abused and broken them till we
shall be very hard pressed for motive power and rolling-stock to do
our winter's business. If we could get material for the repair of
our engines it would be possible for us to repair them and still
accommodate, but much of the material necessary cannot be had in the
Confederacy. If we let our engines and cars go for further use off
our road we shall very soon be obliged to suspend our own business.
We now have three or four of our engines in the shop badly broken up
by them, and we lack material to repair. Some fifty or more of our
cars are in like broken and injured condition. I regret very much
that we are not in condition to accommodate, but I do not see how it
is possible without endangering the success of our own road and
business. I am informed that the South Carolina road, the Central
road at Savannah, the Georgia road at Augusta, the Memphis and
Charleston at Memphis, and the New Orleans and Jackson, all have
surplus cars and engines. We have kept up the transportation for the
Government over the line during the summer, and have suffered
severely by it. I now ask that you call on some other of the roads
to do their part. Any and all freights sent over the Southern route
will be promptly shipped to the extent of our capacity, and would
reach Richmond as cheaply and more promptly than they do over the
East Tennessee route.
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| I am, very truly, etc. |
| Joseph E. Brown |
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