CR, ii-^bV 
 
 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 D03209789 
 
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT. 
 
 Confederate States of America, } 
 Executive Office, Richmond, September G, 1862. ^ 
 
 To the House of Representatives : 
 
 I herewith transmit a communication from the Secretary of War 
 in response to resolutions of your body requesting information con- 
 cerning the prosecution of the work on the railroad for connecting the 
 Richmond and Danville with the North Carolina railroad, and also 
 concerning certain orders said to have been issued by Major General 
 Thomas C. Hindman in the trans-Mississippi Department. 
 
 JEFFERSON DAVIS. 
 
CoNFF.nF.RATF. StATES OF AmF.RICA, > 
 
 AVar Department, Richmond, September 5. 1862. S 
 
 His Excellency, Jefferson Davis, 
 
 Preside?!! C. S. A. : 
 
 Sir : I have received the two resolutions adopted by the House 
 of Representatives on the 1st instant, and referred to this Department 
 for report by your Excellency. 
 
 In reply I have the honor to report : 
 
 I. A contract has been made with the Richmond and Danville 
 Railroad Company, under the style of the Piedmont Railroad Com- 
 pany, for the completion of the work. The company has secured the 
 charter and commenced operations, but the Department is not informed 
 of their progress. 
 
 II. The Department has no oflScial information of the conduct 
 imputed to General Hindman ; but having seen orders purporting to 
 come from him declaring martial law and adopting oppressive police 
 regulations in Arkansas, General Holmes has been instructed to en- 
 quire into it, and, if he found such to be the case, to rescind the dec- 
 laration of martial law and the regulations adopted to carry it into 
 effect. General Holmes is also instructed as to the mode of executing 
 the conscript law. 
 
 General Hindman was not sent to Arkansas by the Department, 
 and has nevei been Commanding General of the trans- Mississippi de- 
 partment. 
 
 Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 GEO. W. RANDOLPH, 
 
 , Secretary of War. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/communicationfro20conf