TN, M&O 6/12/1865

Memphis & Ohio Rail Road Company
Office of General Superintendent
Memphis, June 12th 1865
 
Jas. P. Wood, Esq
President
 
Dear Sir,
   Owing to the loss of some of the most important books from my office & the short space of time since I have had opportunity to examine the condition of things here, I cannot now give you as full a report of the operations of the company since the last annual meeting of the stock holders as I could wish.
   According to orders received from you I went south in June 1862 to look after & try to take care of the Rolling Stock &c that was ordered to be removed from here by the Confederate Military authorities, to wit eight Locomotive Engines ten Passenger Cars and about seventy-five freight cars & most of the machinery from the Shop & some patterns &c. I took them to Meridian Miss & there put in temporary side tracks & to put the cars on keep them from being used by anyone. I remained there with it until August 1863 in the mean time having been compelled by the Confederate Military authorities to lease to the Southern Rail Road six of our Engines for use upon their road in running stores from Vicksburg & transporting supplies to the army they soon all returned to me except Engines F. Titus & D. B. Molloy which were kept in Vicksburg & surrendered with the public stores to Genl Grant on July 4th 1863. In August 1863 I removed all except 22 cars from Meridian to 44 miles north of Mobile {near Deer Park Station on the Mobile & Ohio RR} where I also put in temporary side tracks to place the cars on. In November finding that the stock would be impressed for use upon any road that the Government saw fit I leased to the roads having best facilities for taking care and keeping in good order stock the largest portion of ours. To the Richmond & Danville Rail Road I leased the Engines Cossitt at $20 per day and Engine to be returned in as good order as when received when called for by the Prest or Supt of this Company. I leased to the Charlotte & South Carolina Rail Road at Columbia S. C. 2 Engines viz "Jas. P. Wood" and "Geo. T. Taylor," 5 Best Passengers and 50 freight cars, at per miles on the freight cars which were @ $3.25 per day for each car. All of this stock is to be kept in order & so returned to the order of Supt when needed for use upon our road.
   I leased to the Ala & Tenn River Rail Road at Selma Ala 3 Engines viz. "A. Woodruff" "Genl Loving" & "Thos Shephard, 2 Pass Cars & 12 freight cars at same terms as to the other company.
   I leased to the Selma Iron Works some of the shop machinery at annual interest on the estimated value.
   I leased to the Southern R. R. the large driving wheel lathe, Iron Planer & drill to be delivered in Memphis when needed by this Co. some 10 or 12 cars that were so rotten that I could not lease them I left 22 cars at Meridian that were burned by Genl Sherman.
   I have the contracts for the use of the above stock, also all orders &c.
   I tried to keep the Stock from being used at all and kept it together as much as possible and when compelled to let it be used I got it on roads that had facilities for taking care of it as much as possible.
   The Conscript laws in force within the Confederate lines did not allow me to have any one to assist me with the stock and being alone could not do as much as I wished with the stock or take care of it as I wished.
   I collected in the aggregate from use of stock &c as near as I can ascertain until my books arrive about $50,000 which I disbursed as follows
deposited with Ed Sebring Prest of State Bank of South Carolina to pay ??? due on 10 per cent mortgage bonds that are payable in Charleston and advertised for holders to present the same about $32,500
Paid off notes of D&RMRiker for building cars 9,000
street & hunger funds notes in Bk of Memphis 2,000
Expenses $6,500
$50,000
   When forced to take the money I used it to pay off liabilities of the company as far as possible.
   There is now large sums of money owing to us from the roads now having the stock in use more than enough to put the stock back upon the road except the freight cars and put it in as good order as when it left here.
   The following list of Engines, cars & material was left in the companys premises in Memphis
Engines & cars in disabled condition I understand all was taken by the U. S. Government
{end of document in the archives. It was clearly written by S. B. Jones, Superintendent.}

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