The Railroads of the Confederacy

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UNC Press Books, Aug 25, 2018 - History - 400 pages
Originally published by UNC Press in 1952, The Railroads of the Confederacy tells the story of the first use of railroads on a major scale in a major war. Robert Black presents a complex and fascinating tale, with the railroads of the American South playing the part of tragic hero in the Civil War: at first vigorous though immature; then overloaded, driven unmercifully, starved for iron; and eventually worn out--struggling on to inevitable destruction in the wake of Sherman's army, carrying the Confederacy down with them.

With maps of all the Confederate railroads and contemporary photographs and facsimiles of such documents as railroad tickets, timetables, and soldiers' passes, the book will captivate railroad enthusiasts as well as readers interested in the Civil War.

 

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Contents

Illustrations
Foreword
Preface
Railroads through Dixie
Of Tracks and Trains
Of Men and Methods
Of Dollars and Cents
The Iron Horse Goes Forth to
Frederick W Sims
Steam Cars to Glory
The Iron Horse Stumbles
The Treasure Hunt for Iron
The Downgrade Steepens
The Failure of a Bureaucracy
Hard Faith and Soft Iron
To Sea and Tennessee

Transportation Emergency First Phase
Profits Losses and Shortages
Colonel Myers Faces Chaos
William M Wadley
Expanding Difficulties
Concentrations
Wartime Construction Programs
The Final Effort
End of Track
Appendix A Note on Texas Railroads
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Copyright

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About the author (2018)

Robert C. Black III lives in Denver, Colorado. His books include The Younger John Winthrop.

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