October 25, 1862 (Saturday): Vulnerable Petersburg

The vulnerable Weldon Railroad to Petersburg (Library of Congress)

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, October 25, 1862.
Hon. GEORGE W. RANDOLPH, Secretary of War:
     SIR: The completion of the Danville and Greensborough Railroad as speedily as possible is almost absolutely essential to us in the operations of the ensuing campaign. The enemy will, doubtless, make his attack in the present winter south of the James River, and will make strenuous efforts to cut off our communication with the South by obtaining possession of the Petersburg, Weldon and Wilmington Railway. Should they succeed in this, hopeless disaster might ensue, unless we could rely on the interior connection, via Greensborough and Danville. This road should be pushed on to completion at once by every means in our power. I believe that I cannot urge its importance too strongly on the Government, and I therefore beg leave to call your attention to it.
     I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,






     R. E. LEE,
    General.


[Indorsement.]

OCTOBER 28, 1862.
Send copy to L. E. Harvie, esq., president of the Piedmont Railroad, and inform him that the Department is desirous of giving him every possible assistance, and will be glad to receive suggestion as so the mode in which it may be done.


[G. W. RANDOLPH,
Secretary of War.]

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 19, Part 2, Page 681.

As McClellan is finally acquiescing to the administration's demands to begin an overland campaign, Lee continues to believe Union forces will make a winter campaign south of the James River.  It is not clear weather he envisions McClellan once again moving by way of Fort Monroe up the Peninsula, or if his concern is with a smaller force moving up from Suffolk.  We see here Confederate strategists already understanding the critical importance of Petersburg as a rail junction connecting Richmond to supply lines to the south.  The advantage of the Greensborough and Danville Railroad is it would be less vulnerable to forces moving up the James and permit supplies to be shipped up from further to the west.