Railroads in the Civil War

During the Civil War, railroads played a vital role in the fighting. Trains were used to move troops and supplies from battle to battle, and most battles took place near railroads. At the time of the Civil War, the railroad was a fairly new invention. The rate of accidents was high, due to the lack of knowledge that the engineers had. Railroads proved vulnerable during the war. Many armies thought that if they could destroy the railroad, they could prevent the opposing army from moving. This tactic was used by both sides. Guerrillas, such as Champ Ferguson led raids on the railroads. They ripped up the tracks so that the train would either wreck or not be able to get through. John Hunt Morgan and John Singleton Mosby chased down trains on their horses and robbed them at gunpoint. Trains carrying soldiers were especially vulnerable to this type of assault. The Confederacy's main rail line ran from Nashville to Atlanta. The Union's main rail line ran from Baltimore to Ohio. Once Nashville fell to the Union, the railroad had been conquered also. The Union army was able to send troops and supplies down into the heart of the Confederacy. John Singleton Mosby made many raids on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, but was never able to fully conquer it. Many historians believe that one reason the Union army won the Civil War, was that they were able to control the railroad. The railroad did indeed play a vital part in the Civil War.

Above is a map of the many railroads in the U.S. during the Civil War.

The Nashville Railroad was one of the main railroads that both sides used during the Civil war. The railroad actually runs right by the Stones River Battlefield.

For more information about railroads in the Civil War I suggest that you check out the article on the Civil War Trust website as well as the article on the Civil War Times website about railroads in the Civil War.

Civil War Trust: http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/warfare-and-logistics/logistics/railroads.html

Civil War Times: http://www.civilwar.com/weapons/railroads.html

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.