NP, RD 5/27B/1861

From the Richmond Dispatch
 
May 27, 1861
 
Collision of Railroad cars
   Men Killed and Wounded. The train of cars which left the {Virginia} Central Depot on Saturday evening with troops, met with a serious accident, by which several soldiers of the South Carolina Regiment (Col. Kershaw's) were killed and many wounded. Information received from Orange C. H., from Conductor Taylor, states that three trains, loaded with troops, were standing on the track, waiting for the Mail train to arrive from the main Junction. While thus waiting, the expected train approached at such great speed that the engineer could not stop in time — having lost the whistle and being without means of signalizing his approach — the train ran into the forward troop train, damaging both engines, breaking several cars, killing three of the South Carolina volunteers and dangerously injuring several others.
   It is rumored that the soldiers were very much exasperated against the engineer and conductor of the Mail train, and threatened to shoot them. The unfortunate affair is due to carelessness somewhere. The instructions of Superintendent Dodamead to the conductors and others along the whole route, if strictly followed by them, would render impossible any such deplorable occurrence as the above.
   A dispatch received yesterday from Gordonsville says that several of those injured by the collision yesterday, are reported as since dead, and adds: "The Richmond train, with troops, seems to have been in fault in leaving the station before the Manassas train arrived. The names of the Virginians killed are Gentry and McMullen, of Greene county. One of the Carolinians has had his legs amputated below the knee."

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