| Office of the Mobile & Ohio R. R. |
| Mobile April 3rd 1864 |
| |
| {the addressee of the
letter is missing, but it is clear to me that it was written to Col.
Sims} |
| |
| Colonel, |
| I have been so busily engaged
since the enemy occupied Meridian that I could not send you a detailed
account of the damage done by them to our Road. |
| Genl. Sherman's army entered
Meridian at one o'clock on the 14th February, and immediately detailed
a large part of his force to destroy our Road, at which they were
busily engaged until the evening of the 20th. The work of destruction
commenced at the Howe Truss Bridge over the Chickasaka River, 105 1/2
miles from Mobile and terminated about half a mile north of Lauderdale
Springs, 153 3/4 miles from Mobile. Within this distance of 48 miles
they burned our warehouses, water stations, turn tables, every bridge,
piece of trestle work, and wood in culverts of any importance, tore up
21 miles of track, the crossties on 16 miles of which was reduced
to ashes, and our heavy Rails bent in every conceivable shape. The
largest continuous piece completely destroyed was eight
(8) miles, and the next seven (7) miles in length. There were two of
our heaviest Howe Truss Bridges over the Chickasaba and Okatilber
Rivers, two spans of Haw Truss over the second crossing of the Catties
River, three fourths of a mile of trestle work from 15 to 25 ft high,
and 43 smaller pieces and culverts. The crossties, which unfortunately
were of best heart pine, were torn up, piled in the Road, and from
six to ten Rails balanced on each pile and fired. The annexed sketch
will convey a correct idea of the modus operani of burning the Rails,
and they stood in the Track for miles looking like the
Rafters of a house painted Red. It was a strange sight. Our ties
were of best heart pine without sap and about two thirds of
their depth did not come in contact with the earth, and consequently
they were dry and burned very readily, ??? ??ch more damage than in
other Roads built with sap timber and burned the whole depth of
the tie in the Ground. Experiments were made with all the appliances
which I have heretofore successfully used for straightening Rails, but
the power was inadequate to straighten our heavy Rails, and I was
forced to resort to heat & Negro power used with a little
experience about five (5) Rails can be straightened by each hand per
day. At camping places, the enemy amused himself by wrapping the
Rails around trees, & tying them together, but generally after
the pile was fired they were left to bend and cooled in the shape
before described. |
| Genl Maury's order to rebuild
the Road is dated Feby 23rd and on the morning of the 24th the work
was commenced with that part of our forces, barely one half, which had
not fled on the approach of the enemy. On the 29th Feby, Maj
Whitfield, who had been detailed by Genl. Polk to render me every
required assistance; arrived in Mobile from Selma, and after
consultation we c??ded that the necessary labor could not be obtained
except in the counties of ??ber & Lowndes which the enemy had not
reached. Altho every exertion was made by Maj Whitfield, it required
several days to ride 50 miles on horseback, and 80 miles on a hand
car, and still more time was occupied in collecting the hands from so
large a distract of country and forwarding them to the work, so that
none of them reached the work before the 11th March. The Chickacaba
Bridge 60 feet high was completed in eight (8) days, and seven (7)
days more were consumed in rebuilding half a mile of trestle work; the
finishing of which was necessary to run the Trains up to the burned
track. During the same time my assistant J. P. Fresenins who was on
the northern side of the Break had collected some of our scattered
forces and was energetically working his way southwards. The two
forces united the Rails at noon of the 24th March. Engines passed over
the Road the same day, & regular Passenger Trains were resumed on
the following Monday, the 28th March. The work was accomplished in 29
1/2 days, four days of which time were lost by rains making the actual
working times 25 1/2 days. |
| I have given these details
with the hope they may be of interest to you, and because in a
conference last fall with the Presidents & Genls Johnston and
Hardee I expressed the opinion that with proper management the Road
between Canton & Jackson could be repaired in three (3) weeks, and
the Pearl River Bridge rebuilt in two (2) weeks, so that the Rolling
Stock of the N O & J & Miss Cent Roads could be moved east of
Pearl River. |
| Genls Smith & Grierson
burned all the warehouses, water stations, turn tables, trestle work,
wood in culverts, and tore up the Track at intervals & burned the
Rails, from Okolona to West Point, a distance of 32 miles, and our
own forces destroyed the heavy Bridge over Tibbes River three
miles south of West Point. The Road between West Point and Okolona
runs entirely through the Prairies, where there is no timber, as if it
could be obtained, it could not be hauled except by Rail Road. The
completion of the Tibbs Bridge |
| {this is the end of
the letter in the National Archives. Though there is no signature, it
was clearly written by L. J. Fleming, Superintendent of the Mobile
& Ohio RR} |
|