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Pleasant Gardens
August 11th 1863
Col J. Cathey
Dear Sir, I see that you
have been appointed a Director on the
W.N.C. Rail Road, and I beg leave to
address you in behalf of a friend of
mine, whose name will be before the
Board at your next meeting for an
important office. It has, I believe, been
reduced almost to a certainty that the pres-
ent Chief Engineer will be turned out and
if so another one will of course be ____[inserted word] elect.
I wish to urge upon you the claims of
Maj. James W. Wilson for the office, if it
should be made vacant. You may know
Maj. Wilson, as he was for a time on this
survey. He is in every way competent,
being a capital Engineer, highly energetic

and very _____ and skillful in the trans-
action and management of business mat-
ters, and further is deeply interested in the
success of the road. It is the wish of
Gov Vance that he should be elected,
and I know that some of the most
influential members of the Board are
strongly in favour of him. I have no
doubt that the change would be greatly
to the interest of the Road,. I write to
you without Maj. Wilson’s knowledge as he
is at present in the army of Virginia.
I do not write to you for the purpose
of electioneering in the common acceptation [?]
of the times, as I know you are a man
fully capable of forming your own opion-
ions in matters of this sort, but for the
purpose of bringing the matter clearly before
you, and of testifying to May. Wilson’s competency

and ability fully to discharge the duties of
the office; and further I feared you might
give some promise of support to some
other applicant, though I do not know
that there be any others. I suppose
of course you will attend upon the
next meeting of the Board, and if the
matter should come up, which I have
no doubt it will, I shall esteem it,
not only a favour to Maj Wilson, but
as I feel a great interest in the matter,
I shall esteem it a favour personal
to myself if you will give him your
support.
Very truly your friend
James B. Rankin

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