The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-10-19
iCommunioa.ed.l
The Tennessee Railroa d..
RICHMOND, VA, Oct.

Editors Of ths Richmond Dispatch In n recent
number of your paper you refer TO the fact
that from three TO toRr hundred car loads OF
clothing, &c., have accumulated at Chatta-
nooga and knoxville"
The disloyalty of many of her citizens mas
thrown discredit upon the whole of East Ten
nessee, and such statements rs the one referred
10, unexplained. are calculated to create the
impression that those in control Of the rail
roads are seeking to embarrass the Confede-
rate Government. by stopping the army sup
plies without excuse or justification.
We have excuse or apology to
oT.r for those born on Southern soil,
whe arrsyed against the South
eru Confederacy. But il is wrong TO
confouai thr innocent with the guilty. While
many East TeGnesSeeans have forgotten thS
allegiance they owe to the land OF their birth
ana adoption, there is N that section as true
and gallant band OF patriots as are 10 DO
found in the Con Tolerate States, and among
the latter the responsible heads OF the
railroad onp3nies.
Orr object, however, is to present facts to
the public. through the columns Of Your pa
per
There are two railroads in East Tennessee
lst. The East Tennessee and Virginia rail
road, which Is l33 miles in length, and
tends from Bristol 10 Knoxville. I'd. The
East Tennessee and Georgia railroad, which
is 10 miles in length, and extends from Knox
Vile 10 Chattanooga, and Dalton, Ga. These
are separate anu distinct roads, owned by diff
ferent stoc kholaers and controlled by differ
ent officers. Neither one has any control over
the other. The delay III the tr importation
Of freight was caused by the frst.aamed road.
The President Of this road, Col. John NJ.
Eranner, is an energetic business man, and
true friend TO the South. 1t has never, how
ever, been Il fSrsf class road. Owing TO the linn
tied amount OF stock subscribed, the greatest
economy had to be practced in its original
construction and e4ni pment. With this econ
omy the road, when completed, was burdened
with a heavy ioating debt. Up TO the LIST Of
las he if,p,, ~
sufficient to meet the current expenses and
pay the annual interest on It's debt therefore
but little money could be expended in in
proving the road and procuring rolling stock.
AS is well known, this route was selected
last spring, over which troops and supplies
were to be transported for the army i'll Viz
ginia. This road was lily prepared 10 meet
the pressing demand nude upon 1t, but,
through the iGdofatigable and almost super
human efforts of its president, il met the
public requirements until the month of An
gust In the early part OF that month, Colo
mel Brauner WAS Frustrated on a bed Of sick
ness, and could give no attention 20 the road
During the month, the business largely in
creased, several serious accidents occurred,
destroying several cars and locomotives, and
to add to the embarrassment, the superinten-
dent e.igned. Thus was the road left with
out dctise ofs;~rs, or sutitciency of motive
power and was forced 10 suspend operations
about the first OF September. This suspen-
sion continued about oue week. During that
period the - accuin uiatioii of freight" refer
red 10 occurred
GA the 7th Of September, the War Depart
ment took possession Of the road, ant, made
reguisitioG upon biJlor &. Wallace, President
Of the East Tennessee and Georgia railroad,
To work the same, If possible. The position
was unsought by Ma ior Wallace but 18th
that seIf-sacriicing devotion he has ever TX
hibited in the cause Of the South, he accepted
the responsible trust. There was great wis
dom manifested in his selection. Il is no dis
psragement to others To state, that he is one
of the best railroad officers III the Southern
Confedertcy. All who have witnessed his
efforts, friends or foes, will bear testimony 10
the fact that he has faithfully discharged his
duty in the present crisis. All Of the
ployees on his road Ipcn OF the right
stamp and well suited for the positions they
respectively hold,
He was fully impressed with the i'm portance
10 The Confederate Suites OF keeping that
line of railway open, and prepared for
efficient service; also, that ali its officers and
employees should be prompt, careful, faith
fnl, indefati gable, and rutirIng in their ef-
forts TO transport, with the grea test possible
dispatch, all troops, III unl tIons OF war, n nj
army supplies. The fact that his road has
promptly met every demand made upon it,
and that one hundred thousand troops have
passed over il without the slightest accident
10 a single individual, watch can be traced to
the neglect or misconduct of any of the opera
tiyes OF his company, affords the strongest
evidence that can be presented OF his fidelity
and efficiency
To add to the embarrassment which met
charge of his new duties, his superintendent
upon whom he greatly relied, met with
rious accident, which deprived Maj. Wallace
of his valuable services. Notwithstanding
these difficulties he lot only succeeded in
promptly removing all the detained freight,
but met the daily demands, and transported
q large number OF troops, horses and artillery
for the army in Virginia and Kentucky
He removed the inefficient, and placed new
and efficient men in the machine and car
shops of the Il. I. and Va. road. He has
succeeded in obtaining the services of DR..
John w. Lewis, Of Georgia, as permanent
superinten dent of that road. He purchased
six good locomotives and thirty five cars and
has made arrangements Tor from twenty to
forty more cars TO put on that line. He will
be able to surrender the road to Col. Branner,
on his restoration to health, in good working
order, and fully prepared to perform its share
of duty as one of the links in this i'm portant
railway line.
While, from the causes stated, there was an
unavoidable accumulation of freight at
Knoxville and Chattanooga" it is not true
that soldiers clothing had been detained
Major Wallace, Notwithstanding the more
than double labor imposed on him, made it
his special business To see that soldiers cloth
ing, blankets, shoes, guns, and nInuuition
went forward between Dalton and Chatta-
nooga and Bristol without delay, the truth
fulness of which Will be attested by all VINO
passed over those roads in charge of these ar
1icles
This statement of facts is made as a sim pie
act of Justice to those who are likely TO suhrr
by the wrongs Of others.
). A. SMITH,