Confederate railroads in the American Civil War facts for kids

The American Civil War was the first big war where armies really depended on railroads to move soldiers and supplies. For the Confederate States Army, their railroad system wasn't very strong. It was mostly built to carry cotton short distances to rivers or ports. During the war, it became very hard to get new parts for the trains or tracks. The system got worse because it was used too much, not fixed, and often destroyed by Union soldiers.

When the war started, it was bad for the Confederate railroad companies. They usually made money by moving cotton, but with cotton being saved up (called the "King Cotton" idea), they lost their main income. Many companies had to fire workers, especially skilled engineers. People thought the war would end quickly, so Confederate rail operators didn't try to find new ways to get iron for tracks or repairs.

Even though cotton shipping stopped because of the Union naval blockade, some railroads got good government contracts. These contracts were for moving soldiers and weapons to important battle areas like Tennessee and Virginia. Railroad companies agreed to a special price for the government: two cents a mile for soldiers and half the usual price for supplies. They also agreed to accept Confederate bonds as payment.

The Confederacy's rail network had two big problems. First, the tracks were built to connect to ports and rivers. This meant many lines became useless once the Union blockade stopped ships from coming and going. Second, there was a problem called "break of gauge". This means different railroads used different track widths. Much of the South used a 5 ft (1,524 mm) broad gauge, but parts of North Carolina and Virginia had 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge lines. Sometimes, in cities like Montgomery, Alabama, two different railroads would arrive, but they had different track widths and separate stations. So, cargo had to be unloaded from one train, carried across town by animals, and then reloaded onto another train. Railroads in the South, west of the Mississippi River, were also separate and had different track widths. In contrast, many Northern railroads were connected and often used the same track width, making it much easier to move things.

Railroads During the War

1861: Early Challenges

As soldiers started moving in May and June 1861, a big problem appeared. Many train lines ended in towns without connecting to other lines. This meant cargo had to be unloaded, moved across town, and then reloaded. Soldiers often had to stay overnight to catch another train the next day. When the Confederate government tried to fix this, local towns didn't want the change. They liked that people had to hire local drivers and stay in hotels. Railroad companies didn't mind connecting lines, but they didn't want to share their trains with rival companies.

Confederate attacks on the Union's important B & O railroad damaged tracks and trains. The line even stopped running for a while. However, the North had enough factories and resources to fix it quickly.

1862: Growing Problems

In 1862, the Confederacy built a 5.5 miles (8.9 km) side track from the Orange and Alexandria Railroad near Manassas. This new line, called the Centreville Military Railroad, helped supply Confederate defenses near Bull Run.

As the war continued, railroad companies tried to buy supplies from other countries because the Confederacy didn't have many factories. Getting supplies became a huge problem, especially for train engines and cars. Trains were used too much, there weren't enough materials for repairs, and many skilled workers were forced to join the army. By 1862, rail operators were worried the system would break down completely. Even though they asked the Confederate Congress for help, the government often didn't care or was against helping.

1863: Government Takes Control

In mid-1863, the Confederate government finally made a plan for railroads. But this plan was only about helping the war effort, not about fixing the weak economy of the Confederate States of America. New laws allowed the military to take control of railroads and their trains. This was called "impressment". Meanwhile, the Union's victory in the Chattanooga Campaign gave the United States Military Railroad control of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. After repairs, this line was used to supply the Atlanta Campaign.

1864: Collapse of Passenger Service

In March 1864, the Confederate Quartermaster-General's Department ordered that all passenger trains had to let government trains go first. By mid-1864, all passenger train service in the Confederacy had stopped. Moving goods for regular people was also affected. This made shortages worse, which were already caused by the war, people hoarding goods, and the government taking supplies.

In the last year of the war, the Confederate railroad system was always close to falling apart. The government's policy of taking trains and tracks wore them out quickly. Smaller rail lines were often torn up to get steel for the main lines. The constant use of trains wore them down faster than they could be replaced.

Union Use of Railroads

As Union armies moved deeper into Confederate land, they took over former Confederate railway lines, or what was left of them. Confederate troops often destroyed railroads when they retreated, a tactic called "scorched-earth". Union troops often had to rebuild entire lines from scratch to use them. In late 1862, when Confederate forces destroyed the Mississippi Central Railroad, the Union invasion stopped. Grant later continued his attack, following the Vicksburg Campaign along the river, where steamboats could bring supplies.

Sherman's March to the Sea in late 1864 saw the Union army destroying major lines like the Georgia Railroad. Because of the changing nature of the war, some lines were rebuilt six or seven times by different sides, especially in states like Virginia, where the fighting was very intense.

Railroad Expansion Efforts

Attempts were made to make the Confederacy's rail system bigger by adding or connecting lines. The Confederate Congress suggested and paid for three big rail projects. However, only one of them, a connection between Danville, Virginia, and Greensboro, North Carolina, was finished. Even though the Confederate constitution said no money should be spent on projects to help trade, it didn't say anything about projects to help with wartime defense.

Images for kids

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  A railway mounted gun and its crew, used during the Siege of Petersburg.