| Annual Report of the Greenville &
Columbia RR |
| as of January 1, 1866, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Superintendent's Report |
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| Office General Superintendent |
| Greenville & Columbia Railroad Company |
| Newberry, January 10, 1866 |
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| To the President and
Directors Greenville & Columbia Railroad Company: |
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Gentlemen,
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I have the honor to submit to you the following as my
report of operations of your road, for the year ending December 31,
1865. The year 1865 has been one that will long be remembered in the
history of all Southern railroads, on account of the unparalleled
injuries sustained by them -- more especially those sustained by your
road -- which were those caused by the severe freshet in January,
those caused by the Federal army under Gen. Sherman in February, third
and last caused by the army under Gen. Brown on the first days of May.
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| The extent of those injuries
I will not undertake to estimate in dollars and cents, but will
enumerate them as briefly as possible. |
| The freshet in January
damaged the road very seriously -- the damage extending more or less
the whole line of road, and upon Abbeville and Anderson Branches. The
most serious, however, of all was in the valley of Broad River. In its
course, the water swept away culverts, masonry, trestles, earth-work,
timber and track structure. The distance, if measured in a continuous
line, would make over forty miles. The bridges all stood the severe
test, not one having been carried away. |
| As soon as possible, forces
were organized and the work of restoration was commenced. In a few
days, the damages on the Abbeville Branch were repaired and the train
running. In two weeks, the trains were again running between
Greenville and the Lower Saluda Bridge, and by the 1st of February
they were running between Greenville and Alston. |
| At the same time, while these
repairs were being made above Alston, a large force was organized
under direction of the officers of the Road, (and officers of the
Engineer Corps of the Confederate Government,) who were at work on the
more extensive damages between Columbia and Alston, and reasonable
progress had been made up to the time when the Federal army, under
Gen. Sherman, approached Columbia, (which place he entered on the 17th
of February,) and Kilpatrick's cavalry having passed up on the West
side of Broad River, caused the work to be abandoned. |
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Kilpatrick's forces crossed the river at Freshlry's
Ferry. They destroyed the track from that point to Alston -- a
distance of nearly eight miles. The track was also more or less
destroyed from Alston to a short distance above Pomaria -- the timber
of the track being burnt up and the iron rails, in many places, so
much bent and twisted as to render them unfit for use.
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The splendid covered bridge at Alston, the covered bridge
at Littleton, and three covered bridges over Crim's Creek, were all
burnt.
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The depots at Littleton, Alston, Hope's Station and
Pomaria, and the water tanks, were burnt.
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The loss by the burning of Columbia was very severe. The
fine office and hall building, the local freight depot and platform,
the through freight depot and platform, the passenger house, (the
latter built at joint expense with the South Carolina Railroad
Company,) the repair shop and water tank, were all burnt. The tools of
the repair shop were removed to a place of safety.;
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On the approach to Columbia of the army under Gen.
Sherman, hasty preparations were made for removing the property and
effects of the Company, as far as was possible, under the
circumstances, which was done to a great extent.
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The most important and valuable books and papers of the
Auditor and Treasurer's office were taken in charge by John P.
Southern, Auditor and Treasurer, on a train going up the Charlotte
Road. The books and papers of the freight office were also taken on a
train up the Charlotte Road and brought round to Newberry, where the
offices were temporarily established.
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All the furniture of the offices in Columbia and the old
books and papers, together with a large amount of freight and property
in the depots, were destroyed and burnt with the buildings.
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There were twelve box and six platform cars burnt in
Columbia, and seven platform and four gravel cars burnt at Alston.
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One engine, eight box, six platform, one mail, one second
class passenger and two baggage cars, were sent up the road to Frost's
Mill, that were fortunately saved.
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Three locomotives, six passenger, two second class
passenger, four conductors, three mail, one platform and twenty-two
box cars, were sent up the Charlotte Road, and escaped destruction.
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On the 1st day of May, the raiding party, under the
command of Gen. S. P. Brown, arrived in Greenville, destroying freight
in the depot. A detachment struck the road at Williamston, burning the
depot and water tank; also, two freight engines and six box and
platform cars. Another detachment stopped the up passenger train about
a mile below Williamston, who partially burnt the engine and entirely
burnt the train, consisting of two passenger cars, one mail and one
baggage car. From Williamston they proceeded to Anderson and burnt the
branch passenger engine, passenger car and two box cars, and destroyed
all the property in the depot.
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On the 3d of May, a small detachment burnt two box and
two platform cars at Broadway, on the Anderson Branch; also, the tools
used in, and materials prepared for, building a trestle in place of
the heavy masonry washed down by the freshet at that point.
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After the advent of Sherman's and Kilpatrick's forces, I
was unable to run the trains on the road still intact, except with
very limited rolling stock; but, with such as we had, they were run
tri-weekly from Newberry to Greenville, and on the Abbeville Branch
until April. Then the road having been repaired to Alston (with the
assistance of the Confederate Engineer Corps, under Capt. Haydon,) the
trains were run to and from that point daily, Sunday's excepted.
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*****
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The work on the large and substantial trestle at
Broadway, on the Anderson Branch, (interrupted by Gen. Brown's raid,)
was resumed and pushed forward to completion in June, and the trains
commenced running regularly again on that branch.
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*****
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All of which is respectfully submitted.
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J. B. LasSalle
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General Superintendent
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