|
Confederate States of America
|
| War Department |
| Asst. Adjt. & Insp. Genl's Office |
| |
| Richmond, Va. March ?? 1865 |
| |
| "Extract" |
| From Report of Inspection of Abbeville & Newbury
Districts, South Carolina |
| Date of Inspection March 11th 1865 |
| ***** |
| With regard to the Greenville &
Columbia Rail Road, I had an interview with Col. T. C. Perrin, the
President of the road who informed me that a few days since at a
meeting of the Board of Directors, it was decided that no attempt
would be made, by them, at present, to repair the road to say point
beyond "Pomaria," a depot 31 miles distant from Columbia.
They were of the opinion that, within two months, the enemy would
occupy and hold Columbia, Branchville, & Augusta, and, that, it
was not only useless to repair the road, but that its being in running
condition would offer inducements to the enemy to raid through the
country between its present terminus, at Pomaria, and Columbia. Col
Perrin says that, in his judgment, it would take one thousand hands
one month to repair the track from Pomaria to Columbia, as it was
before its destruction by the freshet, and the Enemy, substituting
temporary trestle work for the bridge across Broad River, and the
smaller streams. |
| He says, further, that, should it be
decided to repair the track, he would suggest that, in consequence of
its slight elevation above the level of Broad River along which I ???
for miles, the bed of the road be raised ten feet to prevent its
liability to overflow & destruction by freshets. Or , that, its
route be entirely changed to a comparatively level ridge which runs
from a point near Pomaria Depot through Lexington District, and strike
the present track again near Columbia. He says that, in his opinion,
to carry out either of these suggestions, would require a force of two
thousand hands for two months; that the new route, proposed, would not
increase the length of the road as much as two miles and would afford
many advantages by running through a thick ??? timbered region. Col.
Perrin further states that the present track could be put in running
order to Alston a depot 6 miles from Pomaria, & only 25 from
Columbia by building trestle work across three small streams, which
could be done in a very short time. |
| With regard to the transportation of
supplies from Abbeville to any point along the line of his road
between Greenville & Pomaria, he says he has a sufficient number
of Engines & Cars to do promptly all the work that may be
presented. |
| There is one break in the Anderson branch,
which has to built up with trestle work, and upon which only a limited
number of hands (says the President) can work, which will require
about two months for its completion, but, a train is now running in
either side of it. The bed of that portion of the road from Greenville
to Pomaria is in fair condition. |
| {End of extract} |
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