HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Chattanooga, November 28, 1863

Colonel ELI LONG:

Report to General G. Granger and receive orders for your command from him.

By command of Major-General Thomas:

J. J. REYNOLDS,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

FRANKFORT, KY., November 28, 1863.

Maj. General U. S. GRANT:

Your attention is respectfully invited to following communication:

His Excellency T. E. BRAMLETTE:

I am deputed by the citizens of Paducah to lay before you the following facts, and ask your intervention or remonstrance with General Grant or the Chief Executive of the Government in the matter:

General Grant has issued orders to commander of the post at Paducah to take possession of the Paducah railroad and take up and remove the rails to some point in Tennessee. The road was built and owned by the citizens of that section.

There is a mortgage indebtedness on the road of $ 400,000, and a corporate indebtedness of city and county of $ 300,000. The loss of the use of the road will fall heavily on the citizens of Paducah and those interested in the road. We would not complain of the use of the road for military purposes whenever deemed necessary, but the entire loss of the road is ruinous to our community. If rails are wanted to make new roads to facilitate army operations, we suggest that they be taken from roads not in use and not liable to be used for several years. For instance, the road running from Bird's Point, opposite Cairo, in Missouri; the road opposite Memphis in Arkansas; the road running from Clarksville to Memphis, and other Southern roads not in use. We believe the suggestion to General Grant that he could procure rails as quickly and conveniently from other roads would prompt him to countermand his order.

L. M. FLOURNEY.

Answer.

THOS. E. BRAMLETTE,

Governor.

(Same to President Lincoln.)

CHATTANOOGA, November 28, 1863-9.40 p.m.

Governor BRAMLETTE,

of Kentucky, Frankfort, Ky.:

Your dispatch received. My experience satisfies me that the citizens of Paducah, almost to a man, are disloyal and entitled to no favors from the Government. The president of the road, and no doubt nine-tenths of the Paducah stockholders, are disloyal men. The road never was completed by them, but if I am not mistaken some 8 or 10 miles was built by Government to connect it with the Ohio and Mobile road. I will, however, suspend taking up the track, except the portion laid by Government, until the matter can be referred to higher authority.

U. S. GRANT,

Major-General.