| Annual Report of the South Carolina RR |
| as of January 1, 1866, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Report of the General Superintendent
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| Office of the General Superintendent South Carolina
Railroad Company |
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Charleston, January 20, 1866
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To the President and Directors of the South Carolina Railroad
Company:
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Gentlemen,
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I have the honor of now submitting to you this my
eleventh annual report as your general superintendent.
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*****
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During the interim from the middle of February to the
19th of June, no revenue was derived from the working of any portion
of the road by its officers, except upon the upper end of the Augusta
branch; that portion lying between the 116th mile and the city of
Augusta, Georgia, having escaped injury, and the company's agents
allowed to continue undisturbed in the management of its operations.
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On this division from the point first above mentioned to
the 67th mile, a distance of 49 miles, the entire track, the bridge
across the Edisto river, culverts, depots, water tanks, wood stations,
and carpenters' houses were completely destroyed in February.
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On the Columbia division, in the same month, from the
78th to the 92d mile, a distance of 14 miles, with the single
exception of the carpenter's house at Orangeburg, everything shared
the same fate; from the 92d mile to the Congaree river, a distance of
ten miles, about two miles of the wood-work of the track, about 600
feet of the trestling and a small portion of the rail, the depots and
tanks, were destroyed; from the southern bank of the river to
Kingville, the bridge (470 feet in length) and about 100 feet of
trestling contiguous were burnt at Kingville the hotel depots, agent's
house, and about 3,000 feet of track main and sidelings were
destroyed; from Kingville to the 115th mile, the depot at Gadsden,
tank, 8 or 10 freight cars, and about 300 feet of track were
destroyed; from the 115th to the city of Columbia everything was
swept, including all the buildings in and near the city, with
exception of depot and agent's house at Hopkins's, and the carpenter's
house two miles below.
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The connection on this division it will be proper,
perhaps, to state at this point, had been interrupted for some time in
January by the freshet, which swept across at and near Kingville, with
such force as to destroy a considerable portion of the embankment and
track in the neighborhood, together with the upper end of the
trestling on the Congaree swamp.
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The Greenville {& Columbia} railroad
from the same freshet sustained considerable injury, so extensive
indeed that at the time of evacuating Columbia the connection had not
been restored. This circumstance seriously embarrassed our movements
at this particular juncture, for it reduced greatly the opportunities
relied on for the preservation of rolling stock, tools, and materials
accumulated at that point.
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On the Camden division, from Kingville to the western
bank of the Wateree, no injury was inflicted except the burning of
Clarkson's depot, but the bridge over the river and about 300 feet of
trestling contiguous were burnt; upon the occupation of Camden, all
the buildings and a few freight cars, and about 150 feet of track. No
injury was inflicted at this time on any other portion of this
division.
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On the Charleston division no injury was sustained except
the burning of a portion of trestle at Four Hole and Cypress Swamp.
This portion of the road, together with the above Branchville towards
Orangeburg, shortly after the surrender of the city, was taken
possession of and worked by the military authorities until the 19th of
June.
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Upon the evacuation of Charleston, the larger portion of
the rolling stock this side of the Congaree and Edisto rivers was
removed to the Cheraw & Darlington road, and about the time of the
passage of the federal forces across that road, it was sent over to
the Camden division, north of the Waterree, where it remained
undisturbed until the 19th April, when about 13 locomotives, and 147
of the cars, were either entirely destroyed or rendered entirely
useless by the military expedition under General Potter. His forces
also destroyed 720 feet of the Wateree trestling, all the buildings at
Middleton, Claremont, and Boykins's, and all the short trestling
between the first point and Rafton's creek. Between the 3d March, the
date at which the stock reached the Camden division and the 19th
April, arrangements were made and partly carried out for the building
of a temporary bridge over the Wateree, and repairing the injury to
the trestling, in order to move the trains to the Columbia division;
all the material, however, collected was destroyed when the trains
were burnt. Three locomotives and thirty cars, lying at Middleton,
escaped destruction by removal to the swamp; those destroyed were
located about three miles higher up, and were cut off.
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Upon the evacuation of Columbia, 11 locomotives and 150
cars of all kinds were moved over to the Charlotte {&
South Carolina RR} track, all of them escaping up that road
beyond the Catawba river, with the exception of about 10 or 12 freight
cars which were burnt near the Charlotte depot, the engine attached to
the train having broken down.
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A number of freight cars and locomotives were left in
Columbia and at the Charlotte junction, all of which were either
destroyed or materially injured.
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The rolling stock that escaped is now lying on the
Charlotte {& South Carolina RR} and
York {Kings Mountain RR} tracks, in the
neighborhood of Chester, Cornwall, and Blackstock's, under a guard of
12 men.
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In the early part of April, a force was organized at
Columbia to rebuild the track to the Charlotte junction from that
point, which was accomplished sufficiently well under the
circumstances for the purpose in view.
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Another force was also organized at the Wateree, in the
latter part of the month, for the construction of a temporary bridge
over the Wateree, which was effected , and on the 5th day of June the
trains saved in the swamp were moved to the Columbia division, and
placed at Adams transportation office, 16 miles below Columbia.
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*****
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Many important tools were destroyed at Columbia, and
those saved on the Charlotte road were unavoidably subject to some
degree of injury in removal, and will require, in some instances,
extensive renovation before they can be used.
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*****
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The condition of the car power is set forth in table No.
2. The exact number of cars destroyed at various points could not be
accurately ascertained, chiefly owing to the fact of our trains being
scattered over the entire line removing public property, several also
being upon contiguous lines similarly employed. Most of the iron-work
of those destroyed may be used, and it is possible that a diligent
search upon other roads may restore a number not included in the
summary of those known to be on hand.
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*****
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All of which is respectfully submitted:
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Henry T. Peake
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General Superintendent
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