Agent Obtaining Coal in Chattanooga

Agent Obtaining Coal in Chattanooga

Many battle and campaign histories and all regimental histories use personal accounts by participants to help readers understand exactly what the men involved were experiencing. The railroad side of the story has very few such diaries, with Swank's "Train Running for the Confederacy" being the best known. But sometimes, research in another aspect of the war will uncover a diary-like series of letters.

Captain/Major R. M. Cuyler, Commanding Officer of the Macon Arsenal, made extensive use of Mr. William H. McDowell as a special messenger and traveling agent. In mid-1862, McDowell was sent to Chattanooga to ensure a supply of coal was shipped to Macon and to the Columbus Iron Works. His letters to Cuyler give an interesting insight into the life of an agent trying to get cars and supplies required by Confederate industry. The story that emerges is of an almost Wild West town, as many agents fought to get the coal they needed as an army moved through the town two times.

Please enjoy Mr McDowell's story as told in the letters in the Macon Arsenal's Letter Received files:

NA, MA 7-1-62

NA, MA 7-3A-62

An explanation of the routes being discussed and employed.

1. The Macon Route was Chattanooga to Atlanta on the Western & Atlantic RR, then on the Macon & Western RR. An extension of this route continued from Macon to Columbus, using the South Western RR to Fort Valley and Butler, then on to the Muscogee RR to Columbus.

2. The West Point Route was the same to Atlanta, then down the Atlanta & West Point RR to West Point. At that point, the coal had to be transferred to Montgomery & West Point RR cars and travelled to Columbus. The transfer to the Montgomery & West Point RR cars was required since that road, alone in all the deep South, used the 4' 8 1/2" gauge.