Letters,, 1849

The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Letters are two manuscript missives informing former Senator William S. Archer of his election as delegate to the July, 1849, convention of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company held in Memphis, Tennessee. Other elected delegates included: William C. Riley, John Mason, and Lieutenant M. F. Maury. The letters predate the railroad's construction and thus discuss only the proposed improvement. Also mentioned is the plan to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via railroads. The letter of May 4, 1849, was written by the chairman of the electoral meeting, Rich J. Morris, while the letter of May 17, 1849, was written by the committee of correspondence. Signatures of committee members also appear.