August 8, 1863
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| Maj. Tho. Sims, A. A. G. {Probably
Maj. Frederick R. Sims} |
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| Dear Sir, |
| Herewith I send to you a list of the
Officers & Employees of this company, who have been exempted by
act of Congress from military duty, or heretofore detailed by the
War Department for special duty in the services of this company. It
comprises, I believe, none who are not necessary for the efficient
operation of this railroad. Indeed the forces employed by this
company is and has been, I believe, less in proportion to this
amount of work required of it by the Government, than that employed
by any other railroad company in this state. |
| By the incessant and severe employment of this
company's machinery during the six months of last winter &
spring its engines and cars have been undermined, and many of the
latter have been wholly destroyed by sending them last spring with
Government freights over the Va. Central R. R., for the engines,
grades & curvatures of which they were not adapted. The brief
interval of time which has since elapsed, the employment of this
company's carpenters in repairing of bridges & roadway injured
by the heavy floods of this summer, and the great difficulty of
providing other mechanics exempt from conscription have prevented
the restoration of this company's rolling stock to anything like the
condition in which it was last winter and spring when it was found barely
capable, with such additions from the stock of the Va. Central
and other adjacent railroads as could be procured, of keeping Genl
Lee's army supplied with subsistence. |
| I have instructed the Superintendent of this
road to comply for the repairing and scheduling of cars, carpenters,
blacksmiths & machinists, as many as he can procure, without any
regard to expenses or rates of wage. But it will be extremely
difficult, and probably impossible to prevent any of these men who
are at all efficient, and yet exempt from conscription or mandatory
duty. It will be absolutely essential therefore, to the maintenance
of Genl Lee's army upon the line of the Rappahannock, that the War
Department should detail for special duty in this company additions
to those men, where names are listed, such other mechanics liable to
conscription and as it may be able to procure for the repair of its
machinery. |
| The department may rest fully assured
that no applications for such details will be made when men not
liable to mandatory duty can be procured. I therefore
earnestly invoke for this subject the prompt attention and actions
of yourself and the Secretary of War to who I respectfully ask that
you will hand this letter. |
| I am very respectfully our obt. servant |
| P. V. Daniels, Jr. President {Richmond,
Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad} |
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