Accidents on Confederate Railroads -- 1861

Accidents on Confederate Railroads -- 1861

Below are the accidents I have been able to identify. I'm sure there were many more that I will uncover and add to the list and also that the vast majority of accidents will never be uncovered.

1861
Date	Railroad(s)	Source	Report
1/1	Virginia Central	Richmond Dispatch 1/3	NP, RD 1-3-61
1/2	North Carolina	Western Democrat 1/8	NP, WD 1-8-61
1/4	Mississippi & Tennessee	Annual Report	Locomotive D. S. White exploded, killing the engineer, William Dougherty, and the fireman, Frederick B. Downes.
1/4	Mississippi Central	Annual Report	A negro fireman had his leg broken and was otherwise injured by being caught under the tender of the locomotive Yallabusha, off the track at the "Rose Thistle" near Hickory Valley.
1/26	Wilmington & Weldon	Wilmington Journal 1/29	NP, WJ 1-29-61
1/?	North Carolina	Annual Report	A collision of engines occurred in January; causing the death of an engineer of great faithfulness and high character, and the wounding of several train hands.
2/11	Norfolk & Petersburg	Richmond Dispatch 2/13	NP, RD 2-13-61
2/28	Mississippi & Tennessee	Annual Report	As the southbound freight train was leaving the Como station Mr. David Townsend, who kept the postoffice at that depot, leaped upon the back end of a loaded platform car, when, losing his balance, he fell upon the track, and 2 cars passed over his body, causing his death in a few minutes.
3/13	Savannah, Albany & Gulf	Annual Report	Near Way's Station, on a perfectly straight portion of the Road, a collision occurred between the engine Ocopilco, of the wood train, and the engine Ochlockonee, of the passenger train; both engines were considerably damaged and several cars broken: fortunately no one was injured. Both parties were more or less to blame; particularly the wood train for running in passenger train schedule, and the passenger train for not having seen the wood train in time to stop, and avoid the accident. The woods in the vicinity of the accident were on fire, and the Road partially shrouded in smoke; not so much so, but that an approaching train could have been seen in time to have avoided the accident, had the necessary amount of care and vigilance required been observed.
3/15	Mississippi & Tennessee	Annual Report	Mr. Thomas McWilliams, Master of Bridge Repairs, in the employ of this Company, attempted to get upon the southward bound freight train at White's Station, while it was in motion, by jumping up between two platform cars, but losing his hold, he fell between them upon the rail and was run over and killed.
3/17	Seaboard & Roanoke	Richmond Dispatch 3/21	NP, RD 3-21-61
3/27	Virginia Central	Richmond Dispatch 3/29	NP, RD 3-29-61
3/30	Virginia & Tennessee	Richmond Dispatch 4/5	NP, RD 4-5A-61
4/6	Mississippi Central	New Orleans True Delta 4/14	NP, TD 4-14-61
4/10	Virginia Central	Richmond Dispatch 4/12	NP, RD 4-12-61
4/15	South Side	Richmond Dispatch 4/18	NP, RD 4-18-61
4/?	Mississippi Central	New Orleans True Delta 4/26	NP, TD 4-26-61
5/4	Richmond & Danville	Richmond Dispatch 5/6	NP, RD 5-6-61
5/?	Unknown	Richmond Dispatch 5/13	NP, RD 5-13A-61
5/14	South Western	Richmond Dispatch 5/16	NP, RD 5-16-61
5/17	Virginia & Tennessee	Annual Report	Bob, a brakeman owned by Mr. M. H. Crumb, fell from the freight train near Glade Spring, and broke one of his legs and died in a few days afterwards.
5/21	Virginia & Tennessee	Richmond Dispatch 5/23	NP, RD 5-23-61
5/21	Virginia & Tennessee	Richmond Dispatch 5/27	NP, RD 5-27-61
5/22	Mississippi & Tennessee	Annual Report	A passenger car attached to the freight train southward, ran off the track upon an embankment, one mile south of the Memphis depot, and fell over down the embankment, causing the death of Mrs. John Grider, and slightly injuring three other passengers. The car is supposed to have run off in consequence of the breaking of a wheel.
5/22	Mississippi & Tennessee	Richmond Dispatch 5/27	NP, RD 5-27A-61
5/24	Richmond & York River	Wilmington Journal 5/28	NP, WJ 5-28-61
5/25	Orange & Alexandria	Annual Report	At Orange Court House, the passenger train ran into a standing troop train on the main track, causing the death of one person and injury to two.
5/25	Orange & Alexandria	Wilmington Journal 5/27	NP, WJ 5-27-61
5/29	Unknown	Richmond Dispatch 6/4	NP, RD 6-4-61
6/3	East Tennessee & Virginia	Athens Post 6/7	NP, AP 6-7-61
6/3	East Tennessee & Virginia	Richmond Dispatch 6/7	NP, RD 6-7-61
6/5	Central (of Georgia)	Annual Report	Day Train injured an old negro man at 6th mile, so as to cause his death. The man was sitting on a cross tie, supposed to have been asleep.
6/13	East Tennessee & Georgia	Richmond Dispatch 6/18	NP, RD 6-18B-61
6/13	East Tennessee & Georgia	Richmond Dispatch 6/18	NP, RD 6-18C-61
6/17	Petersburg	Richmond Dispatch 6/18	NP, RD 6-18A-61
6/17	Virginia Central	Richmond Dispatch 6/18	NP, RD 6-18D-61
Before 6/19	Augusta & Savannah?	Richmond Dispatch 6/19	NP, RD 6-19A-61
6/?	Charlotte & South Carolina	Richmond Dispatch 6/20	NP, RD 6-20-61
6/21	Mobile & Ohio	Mobile Register 6/25	NP, MR 6-25-61
7/9	Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac and Virginia Central	Richmond Dispatch 7/10	NP, RD 7-10-61
7/15	Virginia Central	Annual Report	Two trains conveying a regiment of North Carolina volunteers left Richmond at night. The first train left Hanover Junction 25 minutes in advance of the second. While the first train was taking on wood and water at Beaver Dan station, the second train ran into it, and wounded four soldiers, three of them slightly, the fourth so severely, that he was unable to go on with his regiment. The usual instructions to be careful in following a preceding train was given in writing to the conductor of the second train before it started from Richmond. At the time it was difficult to get enginemen acquainted with the road. The engineman on this train, although recently employed, had been over the road sufficiently often it was thought to know where the stations were, and it is difficult to account for this accident, except from his great carelessness. He was dismissed.
		Richmond Dispatch 7/18	NP, RD 7-18-61
7/17	Virginia Central	Richmond Dispatch 7/20	NP, RD 7-20A-61
7/18	Petersburg	Richmond Dispatch 7/22	NP, RD 7-22-61
7/27	Virginia Central	Richmond Dispatch 7/29	NP, RD 7-29-61
7/17	Virginia & Tennessee	Annual Report	A freight car in down freight train ran over a break-block near the trestle work, west of Big Spring, and, with two others, was thrown from the track and a brakeman, named Abraham Pleasants, (a free negro) had one of his legs broken. He died shortly afterwards.
8/10	Central (of Georgia)	Annual Report	William Ferrell, aged 12 years, killed by jumping or falling from Train in the City of Macon.
8/11	Virginia Central	Annual Report	A violent rain fell at Hanover Junction. The culverts and small bridges in the vicinity did not afford sufficient passage for the water, and four serious breaches were made in the road. A train containing nearly 600 troops, drawn by two locomotives, left Richmond late in the evening. The train arrived safely at Hanover Court House after night. There had been no violent rain there, not enough to occasion any uneasiness in the minds of the conductors or enginemen. The night was dark and rainy when the train left that station, and although it was moving very slowly at the time, it ran into the first of the breaches, which was at a point where it would scarcely be expected. One of the soldiers was instantly killed, and another died the next day from his injuries. Several others were wounded, some of the severely. As soon as the breach nearest the Junction was reported, orders were dispatched to the station agent to send a man with a lap to warn the troop train of the danger; the existence of other breaches was not then known. The man returned, saying it was impossible to cross the breach; he was sent back with orders to remain there if he could not cross it. It was crossed shortly afterwards by two persons who were on the train at the time of the accident, and from whom I learned what had occurred. Physicians were immediately sent for, and as soon as possible a train was dispatched to bring the wounded to this city. With the exception above, all have recovered, and are now in active service.
8/11	Virginia Central	Richmond Dispatch 8/13	NP, RD 8-13-61
		Richmond Dispatch 8/14	NP, RD 8-14-61
		Dallas Herald 8/28	NP, DH 8-28-61
8/15	Virginia Central	Annual Report	Mr. Arnall, a fireman on the switching engine in Richmond, attempting to get on the engine while it was in motion, was caught under the wheels, and so badly injured, that he died in a short time.
8/16	Muscogee	Richmond Dispatch 8/20	NP, RD 8-20B-61
8/23	Seaboard & Roanoke	Wilmington Journal 8/29	NP, WJ 8-29-61
9/1	Virginia & Tennessee	Annual Report	A down troop train (Sowers, conductor; Price, engineer) left Bristol at 7:30 P. M., followed by another troop train, (W. A. Horton, conductor; J. O. Thurman, engineer) which left Bristol at 8 P. M. When about half a mile from Abingdon five cars, in the leading train, broke loose and ran rapidly down the grade and were run into by the engine of the following train, and badly broken. One of the soldiers was killed and twelve were wounded -- one of which died from his wounds on the following day. From all the information that could be obtained it appears that the trains were at least two miles apart when the cars broke loose from the leading train, and as they stopped in the bridge at the foot of the grade, the engineer of the train following did not see them in time to stop his train.
9/1	Virginia & Tennessee	Richmond Dispatch 9/9	NP, RD 9-9A-61
9/4	Memphis & Charleston	Annual Report	A heavy freshet washed out a culvert one and a half miles east of Trinity, by which the express train going east, was thrown from the track. An iron rail passed through the end of one of the passenger cars, striking a passenger by the name of Sam'l L. Turnbull, on the head. He survived his injuries about twenty hours.
9/11	Central (of Georgia)	Richmond Dispatch 9/18	NP, RD 9-18B-61
9/15	Mississippi Central	Richmond Dispatch 9/18	NP, RD 9-18C-61
Before 9/16	Mobile & Girard	Richmond Dispatch 9/19	NP, RD 9-16A-61
Before 9/27	Unknown	Richmond Dispatch 9/27	NP, RD 9-27-61
9/27	Northeastern	Wilmington Journal 10/1	NP, WJ 10-1A-61
10/4	Wilmington & Manchester	Richmond Dispatch 10/7	NP, RD 10-7-61
10/6	Mississippi Central	Wilmington Journal 10/10	NP, WJ 10-10-61
10/8	Virginia & Tennessee	Richmond Dispatch 10/11	NP, RD 10-11-61
10/8	Virginia & Tennessee	Richmond Dispatch 10/11	NP, RD 10-11A-61
10/15	Memphis & Charleston	Annual Report	The locomotive Cherokee blew up, about one half mile west of La Grange. The explosion is supposed to have been caused by the heated condition of the engine and the sudden supply of cold water in the boiler. The runner and firemen were slightly injured. No one else hurt.
10/17	Wilmington & Manchester	Richmond Dispatch 10/22	NP, RD 10-22-61
10/27	Mobile & Ohio	Richmond Dispatch 11/5	NP, RD 11-5-61
Between 5/25 and 10/31	Orange & Alexandria	Annual Report	Between Gordonsville and Madison, an accident caused by the breaking of a coupling on a descending grade, and a collision between the two parts of the train, causing the death of two persons.
Between 5/25 and 10/31	Orange & Alexandria	Annual Report	An accident near Rappahannock Station to an empty freight train, caused either by the breaking of a chord of a small bridge, or by some derangement of cars upon the bridge, resulting in the breaking of three freight cars, but no injury to any one.
11/2	Virginia Central	Richmond Dispatch 11/4	NP, RD 11-4A-61
11/6	Richmond & Petersburg	Annual Report	A slave belonging to Mr. Henry Winfree, employed as a brakeman, was knocked off a train by a bridge and killed.
11/7	Atlantic, Tennessee & Ohio	Raleigh Register 11/13	NP, RR 11-13-61
11/9	Wilmington & Manchester	Wilmington Journal 11/11	NP, WJ 11-11C-61
11/14	Louisville & Nashville	Richmond Dispatch 11/21	NP, RD 11-21-61
11/19	Virginia Central	Richmond Dispatch 11/20	NP, RD 11-20A-61
11/25	New Orleans & Carrollton	Richmond Dispatch 12/2	NP, RD 12-2-61
12/2	Unknown	Richmond Dispatch 12/9	NP, RD 12-9B-61
12/2	Memphis & Charleston	Richmond Dispatch 12/9	NP, RD 12-9C-61
12/4	Florida	Richmond Dispatch 12/18	NP, RD 12-18-61
12/4	South Side	Richmond Dispatch 12/5	NP, RD 12-5-61
12/4	Southern of Mississippi	New Orleans True Delta 12/11	NP, TD 12-11-61
12/6	Unknown	Richmond Dispatch 12/7	NP, RD 12-7A-61
12/16	Southern of Mississippi	New Orleans True Delta 12/21	NP, TD 12-21A-61
12/22	Charleston & Savannah	Richmond Dispatch 12/27	NP, RD 12-27-61
12/26	South Carolina	Richmond Dispatch 12/31	NP, RD 12-31A-61
12/28	Orange & Alexandria	Richmond Dispatch 1/2	NP, RD 1-2-62
12/30	South Side	Richmond Dispatch 12/31	NP, RD 12-31-61
?/?	Petersburg	Annual Report	Mr. Wren of the Georgia troops, fell from the train at night and was killed.
?/?	Petersburg	Annual Report	A soldier while attempting to pass from one car to another, struck and fractured his leg against the side of a bridge, but has since entirely recovered.
?/?	Seaboard & Roanoke	Annual Report	One loss of life occurred on the road during the past year. A Confederate soldier was asleep upon the track at night and was run over and killed instantly.
?/?	South Side	Annual Report	One of the section hands was killed when he fell off a material train while in motion.
?/?	South Western	Annual Report	An accident was produced to one of our passenger trains by the removal of a rail from the outside of a curve, between the 62d and 63d mile posts, by which the engine and three cars were precipitated own an embankment twenty feet high. No person, however, was seriously injured, which was certainly providential, as the baggage car, in which there where six persons, turned entirely over, alighting on its trucks at the bottom of the embankment, and was considerably damaged. The damage to the engine and train was about $3,000.
?/?	South Western	Annual Report	Two accidents have occurred to freight trains, doing damage to cars and machinery of over $3,000.
?/?	Virginia Central	Annual Report	A soldier was killed in Staunton by being run over by a train. He had seated himself on the small platform, which is attached to some of the freight cars, after being warned by the conductor of the danger. A sudden movement of the train threw him on the track, and he was instantly killed.
?/?	Wilmington & Manchester	Annual Report	A soldier, contrary to the admonitions and warnings of the Conductor, persisted in riding on top of the car and was killed in passing through a bridge.