|
Autobiography of Eppa Hunton
|
|
|
|
P. 26-7 |
| When the Federal Army took
possession of Alexandria {June 5, 1861}
it captured all the cars and locomotives on the railroad from
Alexandria to Leesburg {Alexandria, Loudoun
& Hampshire RR}, except one train. This consisted of a very
fine locomotive and a large number of freight cars, and was a the
Leesburg Depot. General Lee, who was then on duty in Richmond,
directed me to burn these cars and destroy the locomotive, so that the
Union forces could not use them in case they got possession of that
country {OR Series 1, Vol. 2, Page 917}.
I took the liberty of separating the freight cars from the locomotive
and arranging them so that they could be fired and burned, at a
moment's notice, and instead of destroying the locomotive I dismantled
it, and sent some of its important pieces into the mountains. I
reported to General Lee what I had done and he approved it. Before the
Union Army took possession of that country, this locomotive was hauled
across the country and put upon the Manassas Gap Railroad at Piedmont
(now Deleplane). It took twelve yoke of oxen to move it, and it was
used by the Confederates all during the war. I felt gratified that I
had not destroyed it. |
| {Colonel Hunton was
commanding the 8th Virginia regiment at Leesburg from at least early
June 1861 until after the October Battle of Leesburg/Balls Bluff. The
members of that regiment were from the immediate area around
Leesburg.} |
| {Capt. Sharp's Diary
shows Colonel Hunton providing an escort for his men on July 30 as
they approached Leesburg to haul away 2 locomotives there. The
locomotives arrived at Rectortown Station on the Manassas Gap RR on
August 7 and were taken to the Piedmont Station to be put back in
order. The two locomotives were the McKenzie and the Manning.} |
| {A witness to the
movement is B14, D 8-9-61} |
|