Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-28
aL.uwooD, Hrr,ro. o.. March %, 1854.

Ut. JehH ~ OsrSsU:
DEAR SIR-As the representative Of the Senatorial
District In which reside desire 70 oA your attention,
and through you the attention Of the Senate Of vrg
MA to matter which bslievs to be Of grca. impor'
lance 10 my fellow farmers 10 the people Of the State at
large and to the citizens Of the Confederate States
The subject to which refer ID the condition Ia which
the manufacturers OF agricultural implements bu. more
especially the manufacturers Of pows and plow-castrgs,
placed under the action Of the Law passed In relation
to the militia during the present session Of the Lssisls-
ature and Of the joint resolution pssssd BY both Houses
in relation to eIempts under thstau.
While among the various exemptions, made BY the
,int resolutions blacksmith farmers shoe and harness
MAKERS mlsrs printers parties having contracts for the
manufacture of various articles for the State ard Con-
federate Government, r., exempted from military
duty, Ii very singular tina. mention y made OF
the manufacturers Of agrcrlt ira implements without
whom especially Of tho plor maker all Others would DO
Of little value. feel certain this could not have been
intentional, by the representatives Of Agricultural
people, but was an accidental omission.
By the Federal blockade the pecp, Of eastern tide
water Virginia entirely cut ca from the largo supply
Of plovs and plowcassngs which were hsssofore par
chased from Baltimore and New York. for their supply
one Of the plou manufacturers In The city Of Richmond
he Oldest and longest In the tr.de) gs.lrg nearly all
bis castings from those places and great macy others
being brought thence by the manufacturers and mrr.
chants of Norfolk, Petersburg. Ia, aud by numerous
country merchants for tbe supply of their customers
To supply the castings for the Wiley Minor Horton,
or Palmer and other pows In in the country in
addition to those needed for the supply Of plovs, the
castings Of which are made in Virgins, absolute
It'll foun
riss; In addition to which, many povs are nesdsd
TO take the place Of those that cut the far
10 the exercise Of prudeuoe have purchased fewer
plo.s within the last twelve months, than they have
DONE within the sane length Of time fer many years
| in consequence Of the pressure Of the times.
Within the last three months the manufacturers Of
Rchs iron beam pillow, (of which many in u.e) haze
discontinued business and the castings for thu. pillow vii
have be made BY Of the remaining manufacturers.
One II not tvo OF the three manufacturers Of plow
castings In Richmond, have taksn contracts from she
Confederate Govsruusnt for moulding sklIe thus les
ssnng thsir Csp:ciy fer Supplying the Plo- es,irss
| nesied oy toe Community.
With ibs sIscmsnt Of fae:s before VOC, oil! etlI
your attention 10 cue more Wis: ,has ~ th. s,ic,e,.
nslt OF the mlil Law, the wood shop, OF Ii. hen CT
which member, has bosn stripped Of every work.
man aud We have only raOuli.r, inffm, s!cAly
man, subject to ssaorrhsscs, lef. In cur foundry.
We have been usually supplying from 4 900 20 5000
farms (many Of them very large onee) with picws,
castings, and other Agricultural implements; and The
nuDbsr has been rapidly Increasing this sping by tie
demand for castings to ft tho Northern poxs, in
the hands Of farmers Of Eastern Virginia. the castings
for which ploHs now making.
In consequence Of the exceedingly vet spring Il Is
well knowa to you that the farmers very backward
in their blowing and other operations and win need their
implements at once.
Does 70. this state OF things call for prompt stten-
tion on the part Of the Lsss.Iure, 10 applying rene
d,t or what Ia the army In the Hsld with cavalry
aud artillery horses II thsy have neither bread and meat
for the men, or grain and forage for the snalsi OF
what use the exempted miller II the farmer has The
plow to cultivate the grain, Why exempt the ovsrseer
for the widow and orphan, easry, il tker slaves
have no agricultural implements to work With Upon
VIA. are the families of our brave volunteers, now In
the tented f.d to snbsis, II the slaves they have ls
behind can yet neither point landslide 10 pu. tho
plowi II the pillow b. wanting how 10 the sgrcutsrst
to pu! IN the large crops Of grain and grass which the
press Of the country and the Congress Of the Consdo
cy have been urgiaC him, and the latter sndsavorng
men and children be exposed famine and pest .nce,
as we'll as the evs and horrors Of ver for the of
few mechanics TO manufacture the pillow, TO keep the
laborer .. work 10 the hsld vsh'
am sure that the Representatives Of the Old Domin-
ion, with united voice, will snsver-no.
And now, sir as to the number Of eIempa that will
. be needed for this purpose.
have no data upon which 10 estimate the number for
the State. know that in of the nshborng
ties the Boards Of Exemption have exempted perIons
employed in agricultural implement establishments, for
the purpose Of rep,ng thrcsaug machines and hors,-
powers and suppose those would Answer In their n.sh
borhoods for repairing. 10 the city Of Richmond there
are four observation-disclosures OF which has 70
foundery attached to IT, For each foundery, two or
three mouders aud one wood workman 10 each factory
would probably enable them 10 keep up bare supply Of
castisgs and pows. This for the city of Richmond would
require for this most mporian: branch OF business
Tia. alike the army and community ten to twelve men
one-thrd Of whom would probably be nearly forty
Ave years eli, who, II ordered into the army, would
have only six or eight months 70 serve, before they
would be exempt by Law.
Az to the number OF pssfaetoriss 10 other cities,
am without Information but, . great tmany po.s
made il Richmond SOLD both In Petersburg and Nor
felix, the number of vorknsn needed would be smaller
IA proportion to the population.
Bat whether the rumbsr be f-s many does not III
irisrssts INDEED the very ssstsnes Of army-and
the lives Of cur fathers, mothers, wives and children
rgur., indeed d,~a~d that the necessary number shal
be apart for this their appropriate and absolutely
o.sa,y work. that With the blessing Of kind Providence
o. our united labor, giving us the early and latte
rains" food for both and beast may be provided
Excuse this hssty, imperfect but lengthy scrawl, m!
deep sense Of the importance Of the sctsct having
ried me mech further than expected.
= Yours, very respectfully,
m A M