I arrived home yesterday morning pretty badly knocked out by two nights on the sleeper and a hot day in Raleigh. I find I haven't the endurance that I once had, and I am easily upset by anything out of the usual quiet routine of life.

I am sending you a copy of my letter to you of July 7th last, the original of which failed to reach you through the mails. I do not know that there is any additional information in it, but as it expresses my views then and now as they were elaborated before the Council of State at the meeting day before yesterday, and it contains a resume of the principal facts in the matter, I thought, perhaps, it might be well for you to read it and put it on the public files.

I am, also, enclosing copy of a letter just received from Mr. Breese, dated July 8th. It was addressed to me at Raleigh in your care, and, doubtless, was intended to be read before the Council of State. The matter of that letter is of exceeding interest and great importance. I am not in possession of any of the facts, save those stated by Mr. Breese, and I do not know how well founded his apparently very decided opinion is. But it has impressed me as being worthy of very careful consideration.

I wrote Mr. Breese from Raleigh the results of the meeting of the Council of State, and, also, summarized the opinions expressed there, and endeavored to write such a letter that he could read to the New York people, and impress upon them the absolute necessity of getting in better shape and being able to remove the unfavorable impression which the condition of affairs in the Pigeon Gorge not unwarrantably justifies, and I stated to him that so far as I was concerned, and I had no doubt that sentiment would prevail in the Board of Directors of the Railroad Company, that we were going to stand by the State in whatever policy it saw fit to adopt in this matter, trusting, as we have heretofore trusted, to the wisdom and generosity of the State in dealing with this enterprise.

I have taken steps to have a meeting of the directors and stockholders of the Railroad Company convene here on Saturday, the 2nd day of August, with the view to take this whole matter up, and to be in a condition, if things have not improved by that time, to meet the views of the State. I don't think the Railroad company will give the State any trouble, and I very sincerely trust that the authorities will not turn the hand of the State down upon us so long as there is a reasonable chance of accomplishing something.

As occasion may offer, it might be well to communicate the substance of the letter of Mr. Breese to the members of the Council and the Prison Board, whose confidence and support we are so anxious to retain.