Page 224
To William S. Rosecrans1Jump to section
Major General Rosecrans March 4. 1864
I shall be obliged if you will examine the question, and give me your opinion whether, on the whole, it would be advantageous to our military operations for the United States to furnish iron for completing the South West Branch of the Pacific Railroad, all, or any part of the way, from Rolla to Springfield Missouri, so fast as the Company shall do all the other work for the completion; and to receive pay for said iron, in transportation upon said newly made part of said road. It is understood that the Company will, on these terms, speedily put the road into working order. Yours truly
A. LINCOLN
Annotation
[1] ALS and LS, DLC-RTL. This letter was never sent, but the letter to Rosecrans, March 10, infra, was drafted instead. See Lincoln's order of July 11, 1862, and communications to Curtis, October 12, 1862, and to Glover, January 20, 1863, supra. On January 20, 1864, Nicolay returned the order of July 11, 1862, after making a copy of it for the president (ALS, DNA RG 60, Papers of Attorney General, Box 116). Sometime circa March 4-10, 1864, a letter was drafted, possibly by Bates, although the undated copy in the Lincoln Papers is not in Bates' autograph:
``Applications have been frequently made to me to order the completion of the South West Branch of the Pacific Railroad. The measure has been recommended by four or five of the Major Generals commanding at different times in that section. I made an order for its completion to Lebanon in June 1862, which order still remains unexecuted.
``Mr. Gibson [Charles Gibson, solicitor of U.S. Court of Claims] on behalf of the Railroad Company now proposes that if the General Government will furnish the iron, the company will grade, & otherwise complete the road & furnish it with rolling stock.
``While I desire to see Missouri prosper I can only view this subject from a strictly national stand point.
``You will examine into the matter & if you should be of the opinion that the interests of the United States would be promoted by furnishing this iron, you may enter into an agreement with the company to do so, & may in that event order the Quartermaster at St. Louis to purchase it, being very particular in such agreement to guard well the interests of the National Government.
``From the lights before me I am inclined to the opinion it would be well to secure the early completion of the road as far as Springfield'' (DLC-RTL, 2901-2, misdated ``[1863]'').
Bates Diary under date of March 9 and 10, 1864, records the following:
``The Govr. and Gibson are not content with the Presidents letter to Genl. Rosecrans, about completing the S.W. Branch of our Pacific R.R. and want me to try to get him to make it stronger. It only directs the Genl. to enquire into the subject and report. We want it to authorise the Genl. if he finds that the road would be advantageous to the military service, to act definitively, and furnish the iron, as fast as the company can lay it down.
``I hope to convince the President that the latter is the better course---better for the service, better for the State and better for himself. . . .
``Mar. 10 The Prest has changed his letter to Genl Rosecrans so as to allow him to proceed at once. . . .''