The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-06-15

state. urging that every citizen VIC
could do so should pledge himself 10
furnish the rations OF one soldier Tor
six months. without designating any
particular soldier. and suggesting the
immediate delivery OF eighty pounds OF
meat and $50 pounds Of -four. or their
equivalent in beef or meal. TO the near
est commissary agent
General Joseph E. Johnston A.arch LIST
expressed a desire TO change h gauge
Of the North Carolina railroad to five
feet. Governor Vance that dav teie-
graphed him How far do you wish To
bring the wide gauge? / do not wani
1t further east than Salisbury unless
great necessity requires it" He also
telegraphed Major General Gilmer at
Charlotte: How far do you wish to
alter the gauge of the North Carolina
road? / object TO its being done east OF
Salisbury. i don't wish the connec-
ton broken with the west"
General J. f. Johnston replied The
change OF gauge was ordered by the
war department. 1t is made by an Of
ficer who is under my orders" This
next day General Johnson sent another
telegram: Il find that not the war de-
partment but General Bouregard order
I'd the widening of the railroad. i con-
slider the extension of this work to Dan
Vile a military necessity" General Gil
mer t~elegraphed: 1T is important to
alter gauge at Greensboro and Dan
vile. / beg you will interpose no OBJ
lection" General r.. E. Lee telegraph
ed: The .. NJ. general and j agree
with General Johnston in thinking II
all imperative that the widening of the
gauge should continue to Danville if
possible"
March 3rd Governor Vance tele-
,vorhzI r.parar r;l,oav. 81 naSitiyaly
object to widening gauge coming east
of Salisbury, unless / am permitted the
same control over the forage train
which the law gives me over the North
Carolian roads" That very day the
governor wrote General CLINE his rea-
sons for Directing to the change of
gauge east of Salisbury They wer1
list, 1t breaks my connection with the
west, where 1 must remove my stores
and public records in case Raleigh is
threatened, compelling me to break
bulk twice and leaving me no power Of
controlling transportation in the hands
Of the new company which will occupy
the road. End, Should Sherman. as is
most likely. unite with Schofield and
advance upon Greensboro from this di-
rection all Of the rolling stock in North
Carlina crowded upon Greensboro for
safety wOuld be DESTROYED. while the
South Carolina rolling stock would be
safe, having the road open behind it.
l do not understand that it is the inter-
est Of North Carolina to make the sac
rifice of her own property to save hat
of South Carolina / cannot see how
the extending of the wide gauge to
Greensboro is a military necessity The
rolling stock of the state it seems to me
is amply sufficient to transport every
thing desired w Salisbury and
Greensboro, and by widening the gauge
so far you will render idle as much
stock as you would gain and endanger
much more. Until further reasons are
assigned therefor l must adhere to my
objection"
March 3rd Governor Vance telegraph
eded General Bragg at Goldsboro: II
hope you Will induce all slave-OwnerS
in Duplin, New Hanover and Onslow TO
remove Immediately all a~ble-bodied
slaves in his direction and will afford
them all necessary aid in so doing. If
necessary l will sustain you in remov-
ing by force ali such slaves as will like
ly afford recruits to the enemy. If the
owners cannot support them the gov
can usefully employ them"
March eth he telegraphed General
Bragg: IF the government will fur
nish twenty-five miles of iron and a
few hundre hands, the railway to
Deep River can be finished in fifteen
days. / advise that the iron be taken
below Magnolia and that the effort be
made"
March Sth General Joe Johnston tel
egraphed Governor Vance: ITO make
d prompt movement to meet the enc
my threatening your capital ] need
fifty additional wagons and teams to
transport supplies to meet the emer-
gency. Can you assist me in having
them collected in the vicinity Of Ra-
leigh and Smithfie!d at the earliest pos
sible moment. Governor Vance re-
piled: 81 can have fifty wagons, most
ly t~wo-horse, by this day week, if you
will give authority to impress a few
country wagons for post duty. The
state has no authority to impress"
March Sth he t~elepraphed the COM
mandant at Fayetteville: You have
taken the liberty of impressing my wa
CONS without my permission. l send
them back for state goods and notify
you to keep your hands off them"
Under date Of February oath General
r. E. Lee wrote the governor: The
state Of dependency that now prevails
among u people is producing a bad
effect upon the troops. Desertions are
becoming very frequent and there is
good reason to believe that they are
occasioned to a considerable extent by
letters written to the soldiers by their
friends at home. In the last two weeks
several hundreds have deserted from
Hills corps and as the divisions from
which the greatest number of deser-
tons have taken place are composed
chiefly Of troops from North Carolina
they furnish a corresponding proper
ton of deserters, / think some good can
be accomplished by the efforts of in
fuential citizens to change public sem
timent and cheer the spirits OF the peo-
pie. 1t has been discovered that de-
spondent persons represent to their
friends in the army that our cause Is
hopeless and that they had better pro-
vid for themselves. They state that
the number Of deserters is so large in
the several nj that there is no
danger to De apprehended from the
home guards. The deserters generally
take their arms with them. The great
er number are from regiments from the