| From the Savannah Republican |
| |
| June 24, 1864 |
|
| Huntsville, June 18 |
| Railroad
travel between Shelbyville and Wartrace is quite an annoying
curiosity. The distance
eight miles {on a branch of the Nashville &
Chattanooga RR}, and railroad time taken to travel it, an hour and a half
and two hours. A friend
wishing to go south at the same time with ourselves, left Shelbyville
on horseback, twenty minutes after the train had left, and made the
best time to Wartrace, where the southern connection is made.
The rails are so worn, and the bed of the road is in such bad
condition, that it is not considered proper to run the cars faster
than five miles an hour! As
the locomotive approaches within a mile of the Shelbyville depot, a
down grade is encountered, the locomotive disconnects itself from the
cars, trusting their advance to the declivity of the grade, and runs
ahead to the engine house, where it is switched off the main track in
time to let the cars following pass on to the depot. |
| From
Wartrace south the Nashville
& Chattanooga
run is in fine order, a reserve car is kept for ladies, water is
regularly supplied and the Conductors are courteous and attentive.
Messrs. Cole and Whaling, who expend their energy in the
management of the roads, deserve credit for their efforts.
From Wartrace to Stevenson one fortification after another is
passed in rapid succession. The
fine works, forts and abatis, and especially Fort
Rains, at Tullahoma, are objects of intense interest.
Every bridge and trestle along the route is well guarded night
and day, and a small fort and stockades are to be observed at every
bridge of any importance. The
latter were introduced and built by the Yankees in large numbers and
still remain to mark the presence of the defeated invaders. They are
formed of heavy oak posts placed upright from the ground, extending
fifteen feet high, with musket loops pierced through about breast
high, for the purpose of firing through.
On the outside a trench is dug and the earth thrown at the base
of the stockade. These
are, indeed, most formidable defenses for a small force, and it were
as well for the cavalry to dash against the mountain side as charge
one of these stockades. But
they afford no resistance to artillery, are only intended to shelter
guarding forces from surprises of cavalry and bushwhacking attacks.
At Estelle
Springs
a large fort, erected by Yankee hands, still remains, and strong
Confederate works lend an interest to the point.
The houses which once adorned the place were laid in ruins by
the vandal torch, and the brick chimneys still standing, and the walls
of what was once an extensive mill or factory, only remain attesting
to the former village. The
next object of interest is the famous tunnel cut through the mountain.
It forms an arch half a mile long, through which the train
passes, enveloped in utter darkness for the few minutes of its
passage. It presents an
excellent opportunity for a lover to kiss his sweet heart without
being seen. A very strange
incident occurred in its dark confines a short time since, which will
scarcely bear publication. Two
seats in the car facing each other were occupied respectively by an
Irish lady returning from a visit to a relative in the army, and
opposite to her a young man of twenty, with neatly curled moustache
and head ornamented by long luxuriant tresses, with a mild and refined
expression of features. As
the cars approached the tunnel, one of the railroad hands told the
guard he was going to have some fun, and to be on the alert when the
tunnel was reached. As
soon as darkness covered every object in the cars, this coarse fellow
entered and took improper familiarities with the Irish lady, who
imagining that it was the person opposite, seized the poor fellow by
the hair, which was removed in handsful, scratched his face, and
screamed energetically for assistance. When the cars emerged to the open air, the real scoundrel had
disappeared, and the innocent young gentleman of mild appearance
disclosed to view, a very sorry physiognomy from the effects of the
outraged celt whose fingers sill clung to his raven locks.
An outraged community was "on the rampage," as Joe
hath it in Great Expectations, and the poor devil was placed under
guard and sent back to the army to await his trial.
After having been subjected to this worse than martyrdom, the
unfortunate youth was sent on his way rejoicing, but determined
probably in all futurity to avoid railroad tunnels. |
| Large numbers of ladies continue to travel to and from the army, and
at the present time I doubt not that a larger number are in its
vicinity visiting relatives than ever before.
It is a source of extreme disgust to persons of good taste to
observe the public use of snuff in "dipping."
At last art has been called into requisition to provide
ornamental "sticks," upon which the delicious substance is
dipped and rubbed against the gums, for the gratification of the lady
like dippers, with this handle in their mouths.
The ornamentation of the stick usually consists of a curl at
the end, like the narrative of a young porker, and various figures cut
on the body of it. I saw
these sticking out of the mouths of many ladies on the cars, at first
producing the impression that they were smoking.
O tempora! O
mores! |
| The train leaving Shelbyville at 6 a.m. reaches
Chattanooga
in twelve hours, and makes connection at Stevenson with the Memphis
& Charleston
road, which carries passengers to
Huntsville, reaching that point at 6 p.m. This
road is now in operation to Tuscumbia, a large bridge over the Tennessee
having been rebuilt by the government.
The Central Southern Railroad has been put in operation by the
government, from Decatur
to Pulaski, and will soon be completed to Columbia.
Through its aid large
supplies are brought from the interior of Middle Tennessee, Maury and
other rich counties. |
| N. |
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