The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-12-31

Offhe Postmaster General on The snb1eef
Of the most practicable Post Route from
.Nep Orleans 10 Udshiagion City.
Pnsr. lLIruI LIZ II A IT nINT.


their last Session, requiring the Postmaster
General To report 10 the /" Senate, at the
prssea. session, III. most practicable post
route from New Orleans 10 Washington
City," have The honor TO state, that the
route on which the mail has been trans
l.artrd, for several years past, from this
City 10 New Orleans, is by the way OF
Fredcri, kshuig and Abingdon, in Virginia ::
Knoxville and Nc Nin,illr, in Tennessee /;
Hunts, lille, Rush,i lie, and Pikeville, in Ala
hama Columbus, Jackson, Fort Gibson,
Washington, Naichez, and Wood,iile, IN
Mississippi; thence, by ST. Francis'ile, Il
Baton Rouge, To New Orleans. This route
is estimated to be $3.50 miles, aud requires
a tra',fof - days.
The military road, As il is called, from
Co'un'ba5, in Mississippi, 10 Madisonsiile,
in Louisiana, is on nearly direct line from
tire former to New Orleans, and much
nearer than the road by the way Of Wash
ington and Natch-z. But this road is re-
presented To- be So much out Of repair, as
10 render the regular transportation of the
anil upon II inlpractTcable. The bridges
and causeways have fallen into decay, aud,
in many parts, the entire space, opened for
the road, has become filled with young
growihs Of timber.
Some years since, n CONT act was made,
by his department, 10 transport the mail
to New Orleans, from this City by Sails
bury, in North Carolina; Spartanbug, in
South Carolina +; Athens and Fort ilaw
klos, in G"n,gia aud Fort Stoddalt, in A
labana, the distance being computed ut
1850 miles. But there were so many OBJ
structions on this route, arising from
streams OF water, and other causes, that it
was found impraoticable Ia perform the
contract, and ii was abandoned.
There is Il mail route from Knoxville, in
Tennessee, by the way Of Kingston, in the
same state; Benners,ilie, Cahawba, and
St. Stephens in Alabama, To New Orleans,
which makes the distance from Washing
ton In that place, ,Re2 miles. But the
distractions on this route are known To he
nearly as great rs on the route by the way
of Athens and Fort Hawkins.
The post route to New Orleans, which
passes through the capital, Of the Southern
states, is estimated at 1912 miles. This
distance might be reduced to l,10O miles,
if no greater de,iations, from direct lile,
were made, than would be necessary TO oh
tain good ground for a road, and 10 pass
through Richmond, Raleigh, Columbia, &
MlllcdSe, illc and thence by Coweta and
st. Stephens TO New Orleans. A part of
the Alabama and Mississippi mail. and the
mail from the south of New Orleans, is
transported on this route. But, in the
winter and spring seasons Of the year, the
numerous streams of water over which
there are neither bridges nor ferries, pre-
sent insurmountable obstacles To the re
gular aud rapid transmission Of the mail Oh
this route.
On direct line from Washington to New
Orleans, the distance is geo miles. This
line passes near Warrcnton. Charlottesville,
Lexington, Big Lick, Grays"n Court
House, in Virginia Ash,ille, in North
Carolina ;th-nce, through the Indian coun
try by Cahawba and St. Stephens, in Ala
hama, to Pearlton, near Lake Borgne !;
thence To New Orleans.
The northwestern part Of North Carolina,
through which this line passes, is 50 noun
famous as to render a deviation 10 the
south or north, in constructing a road, in
dispensablc. A deviation 10 the north, so
as to avoid the mountains, will pass by or
near Foth.ringay, Wythe Court house,
Chrstiansburg, and Abingdon, in Virginia !;
knox,Ilc in Tennessee thence, through
the Tennessee Valley, by Cahaw ba, to New
Orleans, on nearly II strait direction. This
route is estimated at i,056 miles, inelndln <
ten per cent. for the variation from IA
straight linp, from Washington 10 Knox
vile ; thence to New Orleans ; and is be
le,ed TO be the nearest direction prat tea
bile for n post road from Washington to
New Orleans. The variation, 80 rs In pass
by Knoxville, would not increase the dis
lance more than six miles. A deviation 10
the south, So as to avoid the principal
mountains, would pass near Salem, in
North Carolina, Grccn,ille, in South Car
olina, aud Athens in Georgia. This route
would not vary, At one poiGt, more than
60 miles from direct line, and would no
increase the distance, by line passing
through the above places, more than seven
miles.
The route by the way nf Warrenton, 4
kingdom, and Knoxville, affords great IA
clililrs for the construction Of mail road.
Through Virginia and Tennessee, the ina
tcrlals are abundant for the formation of a
turnpike and through the states of Ala
hana aud Mississippi, it is believed. from
information which has been obtained, that
IN no Part of the Union can an artificial
road the same length, he constructed at
less expense. On this part of the route,
the general face of the country is level, and
the soil we'll adapted 10 the formation of a
s"lid road. Some information has been
communicated To this Department on this
subject, but II does ~ come strictly with
in the scope of the resolution. If sun
stantal ,nad were made, in this direction,
To New Orleans. the male could be trans
ported To that place, from this city, in cle
ven days. lfthe road were TO pass through
the capitols of Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia, it could be
conveyed in less than twelve days.
The route on which the mail is now
transported To New Orleans, although
more clfcultous. than some others. in the