|
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 |
|
Alabama |
|
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. |
| NA, A&F
4-8-63 |
| NA, ENG 5-23-63 |
| NA,
QM 8-27-63 |
| RRBAT 9-14-1863 |
| NA, M&E 11-20-63 |
| NA, M&E 2-5-64 |
| NA, M&E 2-5A-64 |
| NA, M&E 2-10-64 |
| NA, M&E 2-10A-64 |
| AR, A&F(FL) 5-1-67 S |
|
|
Montgomery, Ala.
|
In 1865, Sims reports buying a locomotive for the track from
Montgomery to the river.
|
|
Montgomery, Ala.
|
I'm not sure what line this supported.
|
|
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. |
| NA, ENG 7-18C-63 |
| NA, ENG 7-21-63 |
| NA,
RR 10-3-63 |
| NA,
A&TR 10-31-63 |
|
|
Tennessee River
|
This one-mile long siding was
constructed by the Nashville & Chattanooga RR under the
orders of Gen. Sam Jones in later 1862 to assist in moving
trains over the river. It was probably at Bridgeport, Ala.
|
|
|
|
Arkansas |
|
|
|
Florida |
|
|
|
Georgia |
|
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 and thereby to the South Carolina RR -- a move recommended by Lee in early 1862.
A direct connection between the South Carolina RR and the
Augusta & Savannah RR may have been built in late 1864. |
| NP, MT 11-15-61 |
| NA, G 12-17-61 |
| B3, LEE 2-22-62 |
| SC, QM 3-18-62 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 6, Page 428 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 6, Page 471 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 14, Page 482 |
| NA, AG 5-27-63 |
| NA, CoG 10-17-63 |
| NA, CoG 10-17A-63 |
| NA, RRB
12-31-64 |
|
|
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 and was completed in early June of 1862. |
| NA, G 12-17-61 |
| NP, MT 6-6-62 |
| NA,
RR 6-10-62 |
| NA,
RR 6-10A-62 |
| NA,
RR 6-11-62 |
| NA,
RR 8-31-63 |
| NA,
RR 12-16-63 |
|
|
Savannah, Ga.
|
A 3 1/4 mile connection was laid from the city to at least Fort Jackson.
It appears that a track was laid before late 1863 and was
improved and partly placed on a trestle at that time.
Connection in the city was made to the Savannah, Albany
& Gulf RR.
| NA,
RR 10-7-63 |
| NA,
RR 10-31-63 |
| NA,
RR 10-31A-63 |
| NA,
RR 11-7-63 |
| NA,
RR 11-30-63 |
| NA,
RR 11-30A-63 |
| NA,
RR 11-30B-63 |
| NA,
RR 12-24-63 |
| NA,
RR 12-31-63 |
| NA,
RR 1-31-64 |
| NA,
RR 2-1-64 |
|
|
|
|
Louisiana |
|
New Orleans, La.
|
|
|
New Orleans, La.
|
A railroad was constructed from some place to a magazine. If
all the wood shown on the voucher was for ties, the road was
about 2/3 mile long.
|
|
Marshall, Tx. to Shreveport, La.
|
See Texas entries
|
|
|
|
Mississippi |
|
|
|
North Carolina |
|
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. |
| NP, RD 2-7-62 |
|
|
|
|
South Carolina |
|
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 bridge was constructed on
private property, using State of South Carolina money. The
private owner refused to allow any but government freight and
passengers to use the bridge. It was completed the first week
of April, 1863. In 1864, the company tried to get
government assistance in building a permanent bridge, but was unsuccessful.
A connection was also required in the City itself to connect
the Charleston & Savannah RR and the South Carolina RR. |
| NP, CM 11-18-61 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 6, Page 407 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 14, Page 573 |
| COC, C&S 3-14-63 |
| NA, ENG 10-14B-63 |
| NA, ENG 12-18-63 |
| NA,
ENG 12-18A-63 |
| NA, ENG 1-23-64 |
| NA, NE
2-19-64 |
| 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 |
|
|
|
|
Tennessee |
|
Nashville, Tenn.
|
|
|
Memphis, Tenn.
|
| This short road was to connect the
city's roads so that troops and supplies could be
moved through the city without delay. It was also to
help evacuate the city, if required. |
| NP, RD
5-8A-62 |
| NA,
QMR 1-5-64 |
|
|
|
|
Texas |
|
Galveston, Tx.
|
| A 5.6 mile extension to the
Galveston, Houston & Henderson RR (then under control of
the CS Government) was built (in early 1863) to support the
gun batteries / forts on southern and eastern Galveston Island.
It is shown on Confederate maps in the Atlas to Accompany the
Official Records. |
| NA,
RR 2-4-63 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 15, Page 1063 |
| NA,
RR 5-1-63 |
| NA,
RR 5-24-63 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 26, Part 2, Page 296 |
| NP, RSJ 11-6-63 |
|
|
Marshall, Tx. to Shreveport, La.
|
The 14 miles of the Southern
Pacific RR from Jonesville, Tx. to Swanson's Landing (on Caddo
Lake) were removed in 1864 and re-laid from Jonesville to
Wascom, Tx. (on the Louisiana border). The first 5 miles west
of Shreveport was operating as part of the Vicksburg,
Shreveport & Texas RR. It appears that the
remaining 8 or so miles were laid with rails
from the Red River RR. Post-war statements from the officers
of the Southern Pacific RR say that the road was completed in
1864 and was operating.
|
|
|
|
Virginia |
|
Centreville, Va.
|
| This 5-mile road was
completed 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. |
| Centreville RR
Map |
| AR, O&A 9-30-61 EC |
| NP, RD 11-19C-61 |
| NP, YE 12-5-61 |
| NP, LN 12-13-61 |
| NP, RD 12-14-61 |
| NA,
MG 1-31A-62 |
| NA, MG 2-3-62 |
| NA, RF&P
2-24-62 |
| NA, MG 3-1-62 |
| NP, NOTP 4-1-62 |
| Biography of Thomas R. Sharp |
| Did Sharp Build the Centreville Railroad? |
|
|
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 (14 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
|
| NP, AG 5-4-61
|
| 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
|
| NA, RF&P
6-30-62
|
| NA, VC
6-30-62
|
| NA, VC
7-24-62
|
| NA,
RRB 9-17-62
|
| NA,
RRB 9-17A-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,
RR 7-29A-63
|
| NA, RF&P
8-1-63
|
| NA, ENG 8-13-63
|
| NA,
RR 9-4-63
|
| NA,
RR 9-15-63
|
| NA, QM 10-14A-63
|
| NA,
RRB 12-2-63
|
| RRBA 12-5-1863
|
| NA, RF&P
1-1-64
|
| NA,
RF&P 1-23-64
|
| NA,
RRB 2-3-64
|
| NA,
RRB 2-15-64
|
| NA, RF&P
3-1-64
|
| NA, RF&P
5-1-64
|
| NA, RF&P
8-1-64
|
| 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
|
|
|
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 |
| NA,
VC 9-7A-61 |
| NP, RD 9-18-61 |
| NP, RD 9-26-61 |
| NP, RD 10-19B-61 |
| NP, RD 12-23-61 |
| NP, RW 1-8-62 |
| NA,
RRB 1-20-62 |
| 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 |
| NA,
RRB 6-17A-62 |
| NA,
RRB 6-17B-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,
R&P 1-30-64 |
| NA,
RRB 2-6-64 |
| NA,
RRB 2-15-64 |
| NA,
SWR 4-7-64 |
| NA, ENG
6-24-64 |
| NP, RW 9-28-64 |
| NP, RD 10-5-64 |
|
|
Northern Virginia
|
|
|
Northern Virginia
|
| A connection was advocated to
connect Winchester to the Manassas Gap RR,
running 17 miles from Winchester to
Strasburg. Using the Baltimore & Ohio RR rail, it would
have been reasonably easy to construct, but it was too far
north to be protected and does not appear to have had any work
done on it. |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 51, Part 2, Page 248 |
| NA, W&P
8-29-61 |
| NP, NYT 9-27-61 |
| OR Series 1, Vol. 43, Part 2, Page 925 |
|
|
|
