Quartermaster-General's Office
| Richmond, February 2, 1865 |
| |
| Hon. James A. Seddon |
| Secretary of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| At the request of Colonel Screven,
president Atlantic & Gulf Railroad, I have the honor to state
that the railroad connection between Albany and Thomasville is of
vast importance to the Government. It would not only keep connection
between our armies and a section of country extremely fertile, but
make available for transportation purposes a large amount of
rolling-stock and railway iron otherwise hopelessly cut off from the
routes of travel and transportation on which all active military
operations depend. As this connection with Southern Georgian and
Florida, and with all their products and railway improvements, was
once made through Savannah, hereafter it would be quite as
effectually made through Albany. |
| I am satisfied the value of the supplies to be
transported from those fertile sections has not been overstated by
Colonel Screven. The obstacle which is usually interposed in the way
of attempting the construction of any new line does not present
itself here, for there is both iron and rolling-stock in abundance
not only close at hand for their purpose, but not available for any
other. |
| So far as the connection between Quincy and
the Chattahoochee may be considered a competing project for the
favor of Government, I remark that while it should serve in a
measure the purpose of securing the supplies of that immediate
country (though much of it by a circuitous route), it would be
almost useless in securing the rolling-stock for service elsewhere.
With such boats and such navigation as the Chattahoochee River can
furnish, it would occupy months to remove their rolling-stock, if,
indeed, it were possible to accomplish it at all. Moreover, the
supplies drawn from the country contiguous to the Chattahoochee are
of themselves sufficient to occupy all the transportation on that
river, leaving it altogether insufficient to accommodate the
additional amount proposed to be thrown upon it. But there should be
no competition between these improvements, as the one does not
necessarily exclude the other. The resources from which they will
respectively draw will not be the same, and therefore not conflict.
The rolling-stock, iron rails, labor, and food would be controlled
by each improvement from its own vicinity. |
| Very respectfully, your obedient servant |
| A. R. Lawton |
| Quartermaster-General |
|