AR, SC 1/1/1866 S

Annual Report of the South Carolina RR
as of January 1, 1866,
Superintendent's Report
 
Report of the General Superintendent
 
Office of the General Superintendent South Carolina Railroad Company
Charleston, January 20, 1866
 
To the President and Directors of the South Carolina Railroad Company:
 
Gentlemen,
   I have the honor of now submitting to you this my eleventh annual report as your general superintendent.
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   During the interim from the middle of February to the 19th of June, no revenue was derived from the working of any portion of the road by its officers, except upon the upper end of the Augusta branch; that portion lying between the 116th mile and the city of Augusta, Georgia, having escaped injury, and the company's agents allowed to continue undisturbed in the management of its operations.
   On this division from the point first above mentioned to the 67th mile, a distance of 49 miles, the entire track, the bridge across the Edisto river, culverts, depots, water tanks, wood stations, and carpenters' houses were completely destroyed in February.
   On the Columbia division, in the same month, from the 78th to the 92d mile, a distance of 14 miles, with the single exception of the carpenter's house at Orangeburg, everything shared the same fate; from the 92d mile to the Congaree river, a distance of ten miles, about two miles of the wood-work of the track, about 600 feet of the trestling and a small portion of the rail, the depots and tanks, were destroyed; from the southern bank of the river to Kingville, the bridge (470 feet in length) and about 100 feet of trestling contiguous were burnt at Kingville the hotel depots, agent's house, and about 3,000 feet of track main and sidelings were destroyed; from Kingville to the 115th mile, the depot at Gadsden, tank, 8 or 10 freight cars, and about 300 feet of track were destroyed; from the 115th to the city of Columbia everything was swept, including all the buildings in and near the city, with exception of depot and agent's house at Hopkins's, and the carpenter's house two miles below.
   The connection on this division it will be proper, perhaps, to state at this point, had been interrupted for some time in January by the freshet, which swept across at and near Kingville, with such force as to destroy a considerable portion of the embankment and track in the neighborhood, together with the upper end of the trestling on the Congaree swamp.
   The Greenville {& Columbia} railroad from the same freshet sustained considerable injury, so extensive indeed that at the time of evacuating Columbia the connection had not been restored. This circumstance seriously embarrassed our movements at this particular juncture, for it reduced greatly the opportunities relied on for the preservation of rolling stock, tools, and materials accumulated at that point.
   On the Camden division, from Kingville to the western bank of the Wateree, no injury was inflicted except the burning of Clarkson's depot, but the bridge over the river and about 300 feet of trestling contiguous were burnt; upon the occupation of Camden, all the buildings and a few freight cars, and about 150 feet of track. No injury was inflicted at this time on any other portion of this division.
   On the Charleston division no injury was sustained except the burning of a portion of trestle at Four Hole and Cypress Swamp. This portion of the road, together with the above Branchville towards Orangeburg, shortly after the surrender of the city, was taken possession of and worked by the military authorities until the 19th of June.
   Upon the evacuation of Charleston, the larger portion of the rolling stock this side of the Congaree and Edisto rivers was removed to the Cheraw & Darlington road, and about the time of the passage of the federal forces across that road, it was sent over to the Camden division, north of the Waterree, where it remained undisturbed until the 19th April, when about 13 locomotives, and 147 of the cars, were either entirely destroyed or rendered entirely useless by the military expedition under General Potter. His forces also destroyed 720 feet of the Wateree trestling, all the buildings at Middleton, Claremont, and Boykins's, and all the short trestling between the first point and Rafton's creek. Between the 3d March, the date at which the stock reached the Camden division and the 19th April, arrangements were made and partly carried out for the building of a temporary bridge over the Wateree, and repairing the injury to the trestling, in order to move the trains to the Columbia division; all the material, however, collected was destroyed when the trains were burnt. Three locomotives and thirty cars, lying at Middleton, escaped destruction by removal to the swamp; those destroyed were located about three miles higher up, and were cut off.
   Upon the evacuation of Columbia, 11 locomotives and 150 cars of all kinds were moved over to the Charlotte {& South Carolina RR} track, all of them escaping up that road beyond the Catawba river, with the exception of about 10 or 12 freight cars which were burnt near the Charlotte depot, the engine attached to the train having broken down.
   A number of freight cars and locomotives were left in Columbia and at the Charlotte junction, all of which were either destroyed or materially injured.
   The rolling stock that escaped is now lying on the Charlotte {& South Carolina RR} and York {Kings Mountain RR} tracks, in the neighborhood of Chester, Cornwall, and Blackstock's, under a guard of 12 men.
   In the early part of April, a force was organized at Columbia to rebuild the track to the Charlotte junction from that point, which was accomplished sufficiently well under the circumstances for the purpose in view.
   Another force was also organized at the Wateree, in the latter part of the month, for the construction of a temporary bridge over the Wateree, which was effected , and on the 5th day of June the trains saved in the swamp were moved to the Columbia division, and placed at Adams transportation office, 16 miles below Columbia.
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   Many important tools were destroyed at Columbia, and those saved on the Charlotte road were unavoidably subject to some degree of injury in removal, and will require, in some instances, extensive renovation before they can be used.
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   The condition of the car power is set forth in table No. 2. The exact number of cars destroyed at various points could not be accurately ascertained, chiefly owing to the fact of our trains being scattered over the entire line removing public property, several also being upon contiguous lines similarly employed. Most of the iron-work of those destroyed may be used, and it is possible that a diligent search upon other roads may restore a number not included in the summary of those known to be on hand.
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   All of which is respectfully submitted:
Henry T. Peake
General Superintendent

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