Letter from Milton Brown to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; December 11, 1863

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Letter from Milton Brown to Mississippi Governor Charles Clark; December 11, 1863

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Each transcribed document contains links that connect it to other documents on the same topic in the collection.

People

Brown, Milton Clark, Charles, 1811-1877 Johnson, Unknown Maury, Dabney Herndon, 1822-1900

Events

Crime Crime--Destruction of property Crime--Extortion Crime--Robbery Crime--Theft Military Events--Raid Military Events--Recruiting and enlistment Taxation Taxation--Confederate States of America

Military Units

Confederate States of America--Military Service (Branch Unspecified)United States. Army

Organizations

Confederate States of America--War Department. Commissary Department Confederate States of America--War Department. Quartermaster Department Railroads and Railroad Companies Railroads and Railroad Companies--Mobile and Ohio Railroad Company (Mobile, Ala.)Schools Stockholders

Occupations

City Council Members Conscript Officers Railroad Employees

Places

Alabama--Mobile County. Mobile Kentucky Mississippi--Chickasaw County. Okolona Mississippi--Lee County. Saltillo Tennessee

Social Identifiers

Military Deserters

Vital Statistics

Disease and illness

Page 1

Office of the Mobile and Ohio Rail Road Company,

Mobile, December 11 1863

His Excellency Gov. Charles Clark,

Dear Sir,

I have the Honor to acknowledge the receipt of your favors of the 2^nd inst. enclosing the act on the subject of the repair of our road above Okolona & your message on the Signing & approving it.

I have been very Sick and for the last five weeks unable to attend to business; and even now am Scarcely able to write you. I would not attempt it but for the fact that your message bears on its face unmistakeable evidence that wrong information has been communicated to you. On examination you will find that the Statements made to you have been founded in mistake or [purpose?] and are nearly all without any Just foundation without attempting details (which my strength will not permit) I desire to notice only a few things reserving others until I can see you.

First as to our refusing to take the risk of lost freight. The facts are thus. We had a guard on the trains at our own expense which was absolutely necessary to protect our cars in their broken con-dition from thieves. The conscripting officers took this guard from us. within one month after the guard was taken off between thirty & forty thousand

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dollars worth of freight was stolen from the cars. Another month would probably ~~have~~ doubled this amount. An organized band of bold thieves consisting chiefly of deserters from the army had been organized along the road, & to man the road without a guard was absolutely impossible. In this condition we were compelled to notify the military authorities & the public that we could not ship at the risk of the company until we could get back our guard. what we were fighting for was to get back one guard. And we told those ^who^ would force us to ship that ^we^ must charge increased prices. The Quartermasters & Commissaries, most of them at least, instead of aiding us as they ought to have done, and as the public interest required, did all they could to inflame the popular mind misled as it was by not under=standing the facts of the case. The Speculators found this a fit occasion to let out their wrath on us because we had not in times past favoured their schemes. And many worthy citizens Join in the cry because they were misled. Just before I was taken Sick I addressed a letter to Gen^l. Johnson & another to Gen^l. Maury, copies of which I herewith enclose. I request your careful examination of them, & I confidently believe you will decide that this company was right. Generals Johnson & Maury both decided the facts fully sustained us & orders were made allowing us to employ another guard. As soon these orders were made the Executive Committee in my absence ordered the resumption of our former course of business which I hope will be satisfactory

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to all reasonable ~~purposes~~ persons.

As to Tariffs, I desire to say that Soon after the war commenced our road agreed to rates for the Government freight but little over half our then existing rates. We have adhered to these rates notwithstanding in many instances they are below the actual cost of running. when we entered into this contract nails were worth from 6 to 8 ctz. now they cost $2.25 per lbs—Iron has risen nearly in the Same proportion & I might go into a long list of our supplies which have risen from ten to twenty times their former price. In the same proportions have articles shipped on the road risen and shipped ^are^ always ready to claim the highest price when lost. Our tariffs have not risen in one half proportion to the cost of running.

Your attude to monopolies &C. This road was commenced some thirteen or fourteen years since & a large portion of the Capital paid in Some ten years since. And up to this time the stockholders have assessed the dividend of six per cent. That is in this long period they have received a little over one half of oue per cent on their investment. It is, you will see, not the company, not the the stockholders, but those who have paid little or nothing to the building of the road who have been most benefited. I hope you will conclude therefore that the Mobile & Ohio R. R. has not been a monopoly.

From the commencement of this war the Mobile & Ohio R. R. has been devoted to the public Service. Nearly half of it has been destroyed, mostly

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by the enemy but in part by our own army. Ou we have at enoumous cost ~~have~~ kept our shops going to Keep up repairs. Our cars in larger numbers have been taken on to other roads & broken to pieces. For all this we have received not one cent. It doez seem to us that we deserve better things than to be held up to public indig-nation as extortionary & violators of law, we think we ^have^ done all we could to advance the public interest, and have been quilty of no extortion & violated no laws.

I have always deemed you as a politician as belonging to the Conservative School opposed to encouraging popular excitements against corpor-rations or individuals. As a Commanding General in the field you were eminently conservative. I had repeated occasions to acknowledge your serving in protecting our road in Tennessee & Kentucky from the violence of the army. I need not tell you I am your friend for you Know I am. I therefore take the liberty of a friend & Speak as a friend, when I say I was greatly surprised at the tone of your message in regard to Railroads. I will only repeat that I feel sure it was based on wrong information. I was perfectly aware that a regular plan was set on [forth?] by ~~[?]~~ =parties who have desired to control the road, to prejudice you & the Legislation against this company. when I see you I can Satisfy ^you^ of this.

Forgive me for dwelling so long on these subjects. But it seemed to me important.

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As to the most important matter which is the repair of the road above Okolona, I have had no opportunity of consulting my Board Since your communication arrived. But the subject has been repeatedly under discussion before, & the Board is unanimous in their desire to run the road as high as Saltillo if proper protection can be given. Most of the bridges & road destroyed between Okolona & Saltillo were destroyed by our own army, unwisely & unnecessarily as I then thought & still think. Our own army also burnt some bridges & tore up track South of Okolona. There we rebuilt at our own cost.

If the state will furnish the money to rebuild the Bridges we will make all other repairs ourselves & run one train a day except when we are prevented by accidents or raids of the enemy &c. As to profit to us running that piece of the road I am sure there will be none. Certainly not equal to the wear & tear of machinery. We are perfectly willing to run it without one cent of profit. And I would make a proposition embracing this idea but I don't see how I can do it without making a proposition that might prove complicated which I desire to avoid. I will try & go up & see you by Monday or tuesday.

I have the Honor to be
Your most ob^t. humble Serv^t.

Milton Brown Prest
M. & O. R. R. Comp^y

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M. &. O. R. R.
Contract for rebuilding Road to Saltillo