| Macon March 13th 1863 |
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Col Wm M. Wadley A. A. Genl. in charge of R/R
transportation |
| Augusta Ga |
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| Colonel, |
| Your letter of the 5th inst reached me a
few days ago, but learning that you were absent from Augusta I have
deferred answering it until now in the hope that you may have by this
time returned. |
| I do not desire to obtain special control
of the cars "practically without owners" for myself, recognizing fully
the importance and propriety of what you say as to the Government
needing "the very greatest quantity of work that can be had out of
rolling stock," and the superior claims of certain portions of
Government freight over others. But the point beg to lay before
you is this. The Macon & Western R/R, as I am informed by its very
obliging Superintendent Mr Tyler, cannot carry the building materials
which are essential to the prosecution of the work placed under my
direction to the ground on which they are to be used unless an increase
of the number of their platform cars can be obtained, with such increase
to the extent of but a few cars they can do the work. This road
being, as you remark, actively engaged in transporting army supplies,
such additional cars, if in the hands of the Supdt. could be fully
employed on such work at any time at which they are not in use in
carrying building materials, thus getting out of them the very greatest
possible amount of work on Government account. |
| Can there be any impropriety in one
Railroad thus temporarily appropriating the ownerless cars which all
the roads are practically using? |
| You seem to think that I wish to obtain
authority as to transportation outside of or in opposition to the
control of railroad Superintendents, and state your policy of not
interfering with such control. But in fact the course that I advocate
was suggested by railroad Superintendents themselves, and I simply ask
your consent to it as the representative of the Government in the matter
of transportation. |
| Will you be kind enough to inform me at
what time you are likely to be in Macon or in Augusta, as I should
greatly wish to have the advantage of a personal interview with you upon
the subject, which vitally concerns the progress of the works with which
I am charged. |
| I have the honor &c |
| J. W. M. |
| {J W Mallet Capt.} |
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