Accidents on Confederate Railroads -- 1863

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.
 
1863
Date Railroad(s) Source

Report

1/2 Nashville & Chattanooga Wilmington Journal 1/5

NP, WJ 1-5-63

1/7 Raleigh & Gaston Raleigh State Journal 1/8

NP, RSJ 1-8-63

Brunswick & Albany Southern Confederacy 1/10

NP, ASCY 1-10B-63

 1/13 Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Richmond Dispatch 1/15

NP, RD 1-15-63

1/16 Central (of Georgia) Annual Report Night Passenger Train was thrown from track on 127th mile (the coldest night of past winter) by wheel breaking under Baggage Car, very seriously injuring the cars, destroying Passengers' baggage, to amount of $2,408, which we paid, slightly injuring several Passengers, and instantly killing Patrick Dodd, Baggage Master, and James Creed, Express Messenger.
Macon Telegraph 1/23

NP, MT 1-23A-63

1/17 Raleigh & Gaston Raleigh Standard 1/20

NP, RSTD 1-20A-63

North Carolina Charlotte Western Democrat 1/20

NP, WD 1-20A-63

Lynchburg Virginian 1/24

NP, LV 1-24-63

1/18 North Carolina Raleigh Standard 1/10

NP, RSTD 1-20-63

1/23 North Carolina Lynchburg Virginian 1/24

NP, LV 1-24-63

2/2 Wilmington & Manchester Wilmington Journal 2/4

NP, WJ 2-4-63

Southern Confederacy 2/8

NP, ASCY 2-8A-63

2/3 Government Connector Richmond Dispatch 2/5

NP, RD 2-5-63

"lately occurred" before 2/7 Nashville & Chattanooga Augusta Constitutionalist 2/7

NP, AC 2-7-63

2/16 Southern (of Mississippi) Vicksburg Whig 2/18

NP, VW 2-18-63

2/17 Virginia Central Richmond Dispatch 2/19

NP, RD 2-19A-63

2/19 Southern (of Mississippi) Richmond Dispatch 2/21

NP, RD 2-21-63

Athens Post 3/6

NP, AP 3-6-63

Houston Telegraph 3/6

NP, HT 3-6-63

Southern Crisis 2/26

NP, SoC 2-26-63

2/23 Virginia Central Richmond Dispatch 2/24

NP, RD 2-24-63

3/8 Southern (of Mississippi) Vicksburg Whig 3/11

NP, VW 3-11-63

3/15 Montgomery & West Point Letter

OR Series 1, Vol. 23, Part 2, Page 706

3/20 Virginia & Tennessee Annual Report A colored brakeman, by the name of Emanuel, the property of E. B. Wallace, fell from the top of a freight train between Wytheville and Mount Airy, and had his foot mashed, -- he died of the injury.
3/26 Western & Atlantic Southern Confederacy 4/11

NP, ASCY 4-11A-63

4/1 Virginia Central Richmond Sentinel 4/3

NP, RS 4-3A-63

4/2 Western & Atlantic Richmond Dispatch 4/3

NP, RD 4-3-63

4/4 Nashville & Chattanooga Vicksburg Whig 4/6

NP, VW 4-6-63

4/10 Virginia & Tennessee Annual Report Troop train, Oglesby conductor, ran off the track, one mile west of Goode"s Crossing, the following named exchanged prisoners were injured, they were all on top of the cars, and there is every reason to believe none of them would have been injured if they had been inside of the cars: J. Woelper, co. C, 13th La., injury of the hip; W. Lorremore, co. G, 10th S. C. contused wound of the leg; F. W. Roberts, 55th Tenn. cavalry, contused wound of the leg; C. Easters, co. I 3d Confederate Regiment, wound of arm; T. B. Barlow, co. F, 4th Ky., contused wound of ribs; S. Maberry, co. C. 4th Ky, contused wound of ribs; J. A. Williams, co. A, 41st Ala., fractured arm; W. Gilliam, co. K, 31st Tenn., fractured rib; J. Forsyth, co. C, 9th Tenn., contused wound of head; H. P. Gary, co. A, 41st Ala., fractured wound of rib; J. C. Bruee, co. B, 1st Tenn., fractured skull and thigh, died a short time after being admitted in hospital.
Richmond Dispatch 4/11

NP, RD 4-11-63

4/11 Richmond & Petersburg Richmond Sentinel 4/13

NP, RS 4-13-63

4/13 Virginia & Tennessee Annual Report Troop train, Cline, engineer, Haymaker, conductor, ran into the rear end of troop train, Hoffman, conductor, while standing at Dublin, the jar occasioned by the collision knocked a brakeman, by the name of Fred. Watkins, the property of J. A. Watkins, from the front train, his neck was dislocated by the fall, and instant death ensured; the night was dark, and the man killed had been left on the train to give notice to the following trains.
4/14 Virginia & Tennessee Annual Report A negro brakeman named Pompey, property of John M. Wallace, fell from a freight train and broke his arm, he has nearly recovered for the injury.
4/23? Georgia Southern Confederacy 4/24

NP, ASCY 4-24-63

NP, RS 4-29-63

4/28 Richmond & Danville Richmond Sentinel 4/29
Richmond Dispatch 4/29

NP, RD 4-29-63

5/2 Wilmington & Weldon Raleigh Register 5/6

NP, RR 5-6-63

Western Fayetteville Observer 5/4

NP, FO 5-4-63

South Carolina Southern Confederacy 5/4

NP, ASCY 5-4-63

5/3 Georgia Tuskegee South West Baptist 5/7

NP, TB 5-7-63

5/13 Richmond & Petersburg Richmond Dispatch 5/14

NP, RD 5-14-63

5/15 Texas & New Orleans Houston Telegraph 5/18

NP, HT 5-18-63

5/26 Savannah, Albany & Gulf Raleigh Register 5/30

NP, RR 5-30-63

5/30 South Carolina Raleigh Register 6/3

NP, RR 6-3-63

6/1 Macon & Western Southern Confederacy 6/2

NP, ASCY 6-2-63

Mobile & Great Northern

NP, ASCY 6-2A-63

Southern Confederacy 6/4

NP, ASCY 6-4-63

6/6 Virginia & Tennessee Annual Report A negro belonging to J. Caldwell, employed on the Material train, fell between the cars and was killed.
South Side Richmond Dispatch 6/8

NP, RD 6-8-63

6/24 North Carolina Carolina Watchman 6/29

NP, CW 6-29-63

6/28 Richmond & Petersburg Richmond Dispatch 6/30

NP, RD 6-30-63

Richmond Sentinel 7/1

NP, RS 7-1A-63

7/5 Augusta & Savannah Augusta Constitutionalist 7/7

NP, AC 7-7-63

7/12 Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Richmond Sentinel 7/13

NP, RS 7-13-63

7/6 Richmond & Petersburg Annual Report The boiler of the engine Jefferson Davis exploded near Falling Creek, instantly killing the engineer, Hugh Burns, and three others.
Augusta Constitutionalist 7/11

NP, AC 7-11-63

Richmond Dispatch 7/7

NP, RD 7-7-63

Richmond Dispatch 7/8

NP, RD 7-8-63

Richmond Sentinel 7/8

NP, RS 7-8-63

7/7 Richmond & York River Annual Report While the evening train for Meadow station, with government supplies, was passing near three mile post, a very heavy rain falling at the time, it was discovered, when too late, that one of the bents of the bridge near that point, had washed away. The engineer not seeing anything wrong, ran on the bridge, precipitating engine, tender and two freight cars a distance of ten feet. Fortunately there was no one hurt.
7/9 South Carolina Augusta Constitutionalist 7/10

NP, AC 7-10-63

7/18 South Carolina Augusta Constitutionalist 7/18

NP, AC 7-18-63

Richmond Sentinel 7/23

NP, RS 7-23-63

7/31 Richmond Military  Richmond Sentinel 8/1

NP, RS 8-1-63

8/5 South Carolina Richmond Sentinel 8/8

NP, RS 8-8-63

8/7 Central (of Georgia) Annual Report Engine Beauregard, exploded one mile from Savannah, killing the Engineer, Michael Leonard, Fireman Michael Lacy, and injuring one negro. The explosion was evidently caused by carelessness of the Engineer, in having no water, or very little, in the Boiler.
8/10 Alabama & Florida (of Alabama) Private letter

MISC, A&F 8-12-63

8/17 North Carolina Western Democrat 8/25

NP, WD 8-25A-63

8/25 Virginia Central Richmond Dispatch 8/26

NP, RD 8-26-63

Richmond Dispatch 8/27

NP, RD 8-27-63

Raleigh Standard 8/28

NP, RSTD 8-28-63

North Carolina Raleigh Standard 9/1

NP, RSTD 9-1-63

8/26 North Carolina Raleigh Standard 9/1

NP, RSTD 9-1-63

Wilmington & Weldon Wilmington Journal 8/28

NP, WJ 8-28-63

9/2 Central (of Georgia) Annual Report Mail Train, about eleven o'clock at night, near old No. 15, ran over a negro asleep on the track, and injured him so that he died next day.
9/4 Western & Atlantic Charleston Mercury 9/7

NP, CM 9-7-63

9/8 Richmond & Danville Richmond Dispatch 9/10

NP, RD 9-10-63

9/13 Western & Atlantic Charleston Mercury 9/17

NP, CM 9-17-63

Columbus Enquirer 9/17

NP, CE 9-17-63

Western & Atlantic Richmond Dispatch 9/16

NP, RD 9-16-63

9/23 Central (of Georgia) Annual Report Switching Engine run over a lad named McKenna standing on the track, in Savannah Depot, causing his death.
9/25 Western & Atlantic Wilmington Journal 9/28

NP, WJ 9-28-63

10/? Virginia & Tennessee Annual Report A soldier belonging to Gen'l Corse's brigade, in attempting to get upon the train while in motion at Glade Spring, fell under the wheels and was badly injured. He was taken to the hospital at Emory College.
11/1 South Carolina Charleston Courier 11/6

NP, CC 11-6-63

11/5 Central (of Georgia) Annual Report A soldier was run over and his leg cut off, by jumping from the Train at Station 13, when in motion.
11/9 Virginia Central Richmond Sentinel 11/20

NP, RS 11-10-63

11/10 South Carolina Wilmington Journal 11/18

NP, WJ 11-18B-63

11/13 Central (of Georgia) Annual Report A soldier was run over and killed whilst standing on the track in Passengers' shed, Macon; Train was backing.
11/15 South Carolina Charleston Courier 11/17

NP, CC 11-17-63

11/18 Wilmington & Weldon Wilmington Journal 11/18

NP, WJ 11-18A-63

12/1 Muscogee Montgomery Advertiser 12/8

NP, MAV 12-8-63

12/7 Wilmington & Manchester Charleston Courier 12/10

NP, CC 12-10A-63

Augusta & Savannah Greenville Patriot 12/10

NP, GP 12-10-63

12/19 North Carolina Greensboro Patriot 12/24

NP, GP 12-24A-63

?/? Greenville & Columbia Annual Report to the State Five passengers injured, one Free Negro, train hand, killed during the year.
?/? King's Mountain Annual Report to the State Six persons injured during the year.
?/? Charleston & Savannah Annual Report A freight train was thrown off the track by a cow and the engine considerably damaged
?/? Charleston & Savannah Annual Report A Conductor in attempting to get upon a train in motion was killed
?/? Charleston & Savannah Annual Report A negro employee, while coupling a train together, was killed.
?/? Petersburg Annual Report A bridge guard was run over and killed by a train.
?/? Petersburg Annual Report One of the negro hirelings in passing from one car to another fell between them and was killed.
?/? South Carolina Report to the State 20 persons killed and 3 injured in the past year.

Home