|
The Confederate Government constructed
several short stretches of track to meet needs that were not of
interest to commercial railroads. Very few details have come to
light on these projects.
|
|
Connection |
Status |
| Centreville, Va. |
This 5-mile road was built by Capt. Thomas Sharp
in early 1862 to ease the supply situation of the army in the
Manassas area. General Johnston had selected a winter
encampment that was almost impossible to supply by wagon
during the winter rains. This railroad, running from Manassas,
on the Orange & Alexandria RR, to the
camp, replaced the reliance on the wagon road. The railroad was
poorly and hastily constructed, using too few ties under the
Baltimore & Ohio RR rail; it remained in operation only
about a month before Johnston evacuated the area to pull back toward
Richmond.
|
| Petersburg, Va. |
This short line (approximately 1 1/2 mile long) connected
all of the railroad depots inside the Petersburg city
limits. It must have originally be built of light rail
(probably strap), since only very light locomotives were
allowed on it (12 ton locomotives). Originally, only in extreme situations were freight trains
allowed to use this line.
| NP, RD 4-27-61
|
| NP, RD 5-1-61
|
| NP, RD 5-2-61
|
| NA, QM 6-6-61
|
| OR Series 4, Vol. 1, Page 405
|
| OR Series 4, Vol. 1, Page 417
|
| NP, RD 8-15-61
|
| OR Series 4, Vol. 1, Page 484
|
| LVA, R&P 10-11-61
|
| LVA, R&P 10-15A-61
|
| LVA, R&P 10-20-61
|
| LVA, TRED 11-18A-61
|
| NP, RD 2-3A-62
|
| NP, RD 2-5-63
|
| NA, QM 5-9-63
|
| NA, ENG 6-4-63
|
| NA, ENG 7-3A-63
|
| NA, ENG 7-4-63
|
| NA, ENG 8-13-63
|
| NA, QM 10-14A-63
|
| RRBA 12-5-1863
|
A map prepared by the Confederate Engineer Bureau and the
Engineer Officer in charge of the Petersburg defenses in 1863
shows all five of the railroads that entered the city
connected at various points near the city center. {Ref:
Official Atlas 40/1} I assume these officers would not
make an error about such a fact, but I have no other
information on the connections. See Confederate Railroad Construction Plans
|
| Montgomery, Al. |
The Railroad Bureau had a short line (about 1
1/2 miles long) built in
Montgomery to connect the Montgomery & West Point and
Alabama & Florida (of Alabama) Railroads. Looking at a map
makes it clear that at no extra effort, the Montgomery &
Eufaula RR was probably also connected by the same line {Ref:
Official Atlas 74/3}. It was
constructed in early September 1863. It was improved by the
Bureau in February 1864 (lowering the grade), using the
Montgomery & Eufaula Railroad's workforce under
contract.
|
| Richmond, Va. |
The possibility of rolling stock being trapped
north of Richmond if the city fell caused the Government to
lay a temporary track on the streets of the city to allow the
evacuation of rolling stock south. The track was evidently
never used for commercial traffic. The 1/2 mile line connected
the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac RR with the
Richmond & Petersburg RR {Ref:
Official Atlas 89/2 and 92/1}. Since the track was to be
removed, at the city's insistence, at the end of the war, no
grading was done to lower the steep hill encountered by the
connection. This hill was extremely difficult for locomotives
to climb and sometimes required several tries to
succeed. See Confederate Railroad Construction Plans for
the construction of a permanent track. The heavy grade caused
the RR Bureau to recommend the connection of the Richmond
& Petersburg RR to the Virginia Central RR.
| B5, RCC 4-26-61 |
| NP, RD 4-27-61 |
| NP, RD 5-2-61 |
| NA, QM 6-6-61 |
| OR Series 4, Vol. 1, Page 405 |
| OR Series 4, Vol. 1, Page 417 |
| OR Series 4, Vol. 1, Page 484 |
| NP, RD 7-23-61 |
| NP, RD 8-5-61 |
| NP, RW 8-5A-61 |
| NP, RE 8-10-61 |
| NP, RD 9-18-61 |
| NP, RD 10-19B-61 |
| NP, RD 9-26-61 |
| NP, RD 12-23-61 |
| NP, RW 1-8-62 |
| NP, RD 1-25-62 |
| NP, RD 2-3A-62 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 11, Pt 3, Page 501 |
| NP, RE 5-28-62 |
| NP, RD 5-28-62 |
| NP, RE 5-31-62 |
| NP, RD 6-4B-62 |
| NP, RE 6-7-62 |
| NP, RD 6-10-62 |
| NP, RD 7-8-62 |
| NP, RE 7-21-62 |
| NP, RD 8-4-62 |
| NP, RE 10-27-62 |
| NP, RD 11-24-62 |
| NP, RD 1-28-63 |
| NP, RS 8-1-63 |
| NA, ENG
6-24-64 |
| NP, RW 9-28-64 |
| NP, RD 10-5-64 |
|
| Nashville, Tenn. |
A report to the State
Assembly says that money was advanced by the State to connect
3 railroads in the city. A newspaper report confirms the
completion of the connection.
|
| Charleston,
S. C. |
A connection was made between the Charleston
& Savannah RR and the South Carolina RR by building a
bridge over the Ashley River. The exact date is unknown, but
was probably during 1862.
| NP, CM 11-18-61 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 14, Page 573 |
| NA, ENG 10-14B-63 |
| NA, ENG 12-18-63 |
| NA, ENG 12-18A-63 |
| NA, ENG 1-23-64 |
| NA, ENG 2-22I-64 |
| NA, ENG 3-1B-64 |
| NA, ENG 3-16-64 |
| NA, ENG 3-26-64 |
| NA, ENG 3-26B-64 |
| NA, ENG 3-28B-64 |
| NA, ENG 3-28E-64 |
| NA, ENG 5-2B-64 |
| NA, ENG 5-19D-64 |
|
| Selma, Al. |
A very short track was run from the Naval
Foundry to the Alabama River to allow the easy shipment of
coal to the foundry. The spur was about 1500 yards long. An
April 1865 map of Selma shows a spur from this spur leading to
the city's line of fortifications -- another 500 yards.
|
| New Orleans, La. |
A switch and short stretch of track was
installed to connect the Pontchartrain RR to
the Mexican Gulf RR.
|
| Northern Virginia |
A connection was advocated between the Richmond,
Fredericksburg & Potomac RR and the Manassas Gap RR. The
line would have been about 25 miles long. Its proximity to the
Potomac River would have made it easy to interdict. It is not
likely that any serious planning was done on the road.
|
| Fayetteville, N. C. |
A road of about 1.5 miles was planned to link
the arsenal to the Western RR (to get coal) and the Cape Fear
River (for connection with Wilmington and its railroads). I
have found no indication that this road was built.
|
| Augusta, Ga. |
In 1863, Col. Wadley reported
turning over to Capt. Sims railroad iron that had
been laid in Augusta. This probably connected the Augusta & Savannah RR to the
Georgia RR -- a move recommended by Lee in early 1862.
|
| Savannah, Ga. |
This 1,400 yard long connection
between the Central (of Georgia) RR and the Savannah, Albany
& Gulf RR, at Savannah, was recommended to Congress in
December of 1861. Though I have no proof that it was
constructed, many of the other connections within cities were
completed about this time.
|
|
|