| Annual Report ending September 30, 1861 |
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| From the President's Report |
| On May 28th, 1861, general possession was
taken by the Confederate forces of more than one hundred miles of the
Main Stem, embracing chiefly the region between the Point of Rocks and
Cumberland. |
| ***** |
| The large and costly machine shops and
engine houses at Martinsburg were greatly damaged. Fourteen
locomotives and tenders, and a large number of cars, much machinery
from the shops, and portions of nine additional engines, were taken
from the road and transported, by animal power, over turnpikes, to
Southern railways, and thus entirely lost to the Company. |
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Forty-two locomotives and tenders, 386
cars, chiefly coal; the bridges (including 3 between Cumberland and
wheeling, 3 on the Northwestern Virginia Road, and the great bridge at
Harper's Ferry,) embracing 127 spans, and a total length of 4,713
feet, were also destroyed or damaged to a great extent by fire, and
numerous engines and cars were thrown into the Potomac, the Opequan
and other streams. Thirty-six and a half miles of track were torn up,
and the iron and track fixtures removed for use on Southern roads. The
lines of telegraph for 102 miles, two water-stations, and much other
valuable property were also destroyed. |
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From the Road Master's Report (written in October, 1863) |
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On the night of 18th April, 1861, a detachment of United
States regulars, guarding the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, after setting
fire to the buildings, evacuated that point. At 10 P. M. Virginia
State troops, from Winchester and Charleston, marched in and took
possession, placing a guard of infantry and artillery upon our bridge,
and from that time throughout the year losses by fire and flood were
frequent. The trains continued to run, with many interruptions, until
May 25th, 1861, at which time the large rock supported by masonry,
near the Point of Rocks, sixty-nine miles from Baltimore, was
undermined and thrown upon the track. On the day following Buffalo
Creek bridges No.s 2 and 3, three hundred and fourteen miles from
Baltimore, were burned. These bridges consisted of five spans of
fifty-two and fifty-four feet each, of iron superstructure, and wooden
chord. They were trestled in two days, and in one month restored to
their former condition. |
| This destruction was the
precursor of losses which followed in rapid succession. They will be
noted chronologically: |
| May 24th, 1861 |
Telegraph line destroyed near Grafton |
| May 28th, 1861 |
Patterson's Creek bridge, two spans, 72 feet 6
in. each, 170 miles from Baltimore; also pump-house and Engine
adjoining, and Canal span, North Branch Bridge, one span, 131
feet, 172 miles from Baltimore, were burned. These were
covered wooden bridges, and were in excellent condition. |
| June 2d, 1861 |
Opequan Bridge, one span, 147 feet 8 inches, 56
feet high, 97 miles from Baltimore, destroyed, and more than
fifty loaded coal cars run into the chasm. These continued to
burn for two months, and so intense was the heat that wheels
and axles were melted. |
| June 13th, 1861 |
Pillar Bridge at Martinsburg, 9 spans, 40 feet
each, destroyed, and one engine and a number of cars run into
it. Also two small bridges burned. |
| June 14th, 1861 |
Harper's Ferry covered wooden bridge, 7 spans,
one of 122 feet, one of 76; four of 127, and one of 131 feet
in length. Also flooring, rail-joist, cross-ties, double track
and iron hand railing of 70 spans, 15 feet each, of iron
trestling, through arsenal yard, destroyed. |
| June 13th, 1861 |
Great Cacapon, two spans, 132 feet 6 inches
each, 132 miles from Baltimore, burned. |
| June 18th, 1861 |
Little Cacapon Bridge, one span, 131 feet, 157
miles from Baltimore, burned. |
| June 20th, 1861 |
Tuscarora Bridge, 1 span, 39 feet 6 inches, 99
miles from Baltimore, burned. |
| June 20th, 1861 |
Winchester iron span, at Harper's Ferry, (wood
work) burned, and engine 165 run through the bridge into
Potomac river. |
| June, July, 1861 |
Engines and Cars burned at Martinsburg, and
Engine, Rigger's Car and two Gondolas burned at Piedmont. |
| June 25th, 1861 |
Cherry Run iron bridges, two 25 feet spans, 113
miles from Baltimore, off the abutments, and one Camp car, one
Derrick car and five Ballast cars burned. |
| June 27th, 1861 |
Back Creek. The magnificent and costly stone
arch, 80 feet span, 110 miles from Baltimore, blown up. |
| July, 1861 |
Water Station at Martinsburg destroyed. |
| Aug. & Sept., 1861 |
Thirty-six and a half miles track torn up
between Harper's Ferry and Paxton's Cut, and the iron and
several thousand ties and track fixtures were being
transported by animal power to Southern roads. |
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| From the Master of Machinery Report,
written October, 1863. |
| The losses in our Locomotive
equipment during that year {1861} were, |
| 14 |
Locomotives and Tenders taken and transported
South |
| 42 |
Locomotives and Tenders burned |
| 2 |
Locomotives and Tenders thrown into the Potomac
river and seriously damaged, and a part of the machinery of
nine other Engines taken off and carried South |
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| Cars |
| The Confederate forces, while
at and in the vicinity of Martinsburg, destroyed and seized a large
number of our cars and appurtenances. I have account of 386 cars,
including four passenger and one mail and baggage car, which were
burnt at Martinsburg, but have not obtained accurate information
regarding the large additional number otherwise destroyed, removed
from the road and lost to the Company. |
| Stationary Machinery |
| All the Stationary Machinery,
tools, and the material at the extensive shops at Martinsburg, (which
I estimate will cost $63,000) were taken and removed by the enemy. |
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