|
Lawrence W. Sagle was born in 1892
in West Virginia. He worked for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad,
mostly in the Public Relations Department and as Curator of the B&O
Railroad Museum in Baltimore, until his retirement in 1962. He wrote
a number of books on the B&O, supervised the construction of various
B&O RR models, and was a member of several railroad and Civil War
organizations. He died in 1975 in Baltimore. |
|
An unpublished manuscript, entitled
Salvage Hunt Through Dixie, bears his name as author. The
original, unfinished work is at the Smithsonian Library. |
|
Salvage Hunt Through Dixie
is important for at least two reasons. First, it is the only known
work detailing the B&O Railroad's efforts to retrieve from Virginia
and North Carolina the locomotives, cars and machinery taken from
the B&O by Thomas R. Sharp, on orders of the Confederate
Quartermaster General, in 1861 and 1862. Second, the host of letters
and telegrams used to create this history have all vanished,
probably as an unintended consequence of Sagle's death while working
on the manuscript. Without this work, the history and the documents
setting it forth would be lost forever. |
| The
manuscript was clearly not a finished work. While I have edited and
annotated it to clarify the text and to improve the historical accuracy
of the work, I have not tried to change the work that Sagle was in the
process of producing. |
| |
|
Salvage Hunt Through Dixie |
|
Lawrence W. Sagle |
|
Edited and Annotated by David L. Bright |
| |
| It all began on April 5, 1865,
when the alert eye of Thatcher Perkins, Master of Machinery for the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, noticed an obscure paragraph in the
Baltimore Clipper. It read: "Gen. Weitzel telegraphs from Richmond
that of railroad stock he found there 28 locomotives, 44 passenger and
baggage cars, and 106 freight cars." |
| Remembering well what had
happened in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry and Martinsburg four years
previously, Perkins lost no time in forwarding the clipping to President
Garrett with the following letter: |
| Baltimore, April 5th, 1865 |
| |
| John W. Garrett, Esqr. |
| President |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| By the enclosed slip taken
from today's Clipper you will see that Gen Weitzel reports 28 Locos, 44
Pass. & Baggage cars and 106 freight cars as being among the property
captured at Richmond. In all probability some portion at least of this
stock belongs to our Co. and I would propose that a reliable man,
acquainted with our machinery be sent to Richmond as soon as possible to
try to identify such of our Rolling Stock as may be there. |
| Very Respectfully, |
| T. Perkins |
| |
| Mr. Garrett replied promptly: |
| April 6, 1865 |
| |
| T. Perkins |
| M of M |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have your letter of the
5th inst. regarding locomotives and property taken by the Confederates. |
| Respy yours, |
| J. W. Garrett |
| Pres. |
| |
| In the meantime, Mr. Garrett had been
approached in Washington, on April 14th, by a Mr. Joshua Riggles, who
claimed to know the location of all B. & O. property in the South. Later
he wrote to Mr. Garrett on April 27, from Richmond, offering his
services, and to Thatcher Perkins on the same day, making the same
offer, and also asking Perkins if he knew of any vacancy to which he
might be recommended. |
| But Edward Keith was already
on the job, and we find nothing more about Joshua Riggles who had asked
to be paid five hundred dollars for each locomotive which he might
locate, plus an immediate advance of a like amount. Mr. Garrett
apparently had decided to leave the job in the capable hands of Edward
Keith, who was being paid $3.75 per day, plus expenses. |
| {Keith
was born in Connecticut. At the time of the book's subject, he was
married and living in Baltimore. After the Salvage Hunt, he eventually
move to Illinois, where he died in the 1870's. Sagle notes that the
1864 and 1865 Baltimore City Directories list an E. H. Keith as an
engineer on the Northern Central RR. He was not listed in subsequent
directories, nor in those pre-dating the War. Sagle surmises that he
must have been a B&O man at some time in his career. This surmise is
support by the fact that several of his children were born in Virginia,
probably around Martinsburg.} |
| To expedite matters, Mr.
Garrett wrote to General D. S. McCallum: |
| April 19th, 1865 |
| |
| Genl. D. C. McCallum |
| Genl. Supt. U. S. M. RRs |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| Allow me to introduce to
you Mr. Edward Keith, for whom I have obtained a pass from the War Dept.
which he will hand to you as an employee of the Baltimore & Ohio R. R.
Co. from Baltimore to Richmond and Goldsboro and return, on business for
the Company. |
| I have stated to the
Department that the object of Mr. Keith is to obtain certain engines and
cars and machinery taken in 1861 by the enemy from this Company, and
which, I am informed, is not upon roads in Virginia and North Carolina. |
| May I ask that you will
give him such letters and authority as will enable him to accomplish the
desired object. I will be greatly obliged if you can give such advice
and instructions to military and other officers, when such arrangements
can be made without detriment to the interests of the Government, as
will enable Keith to move these engines, and the property stated,
northward, as to insure their early return to this Company. |
| I am, with great respect, |
| Your obt. Servant |
| J. W. Garrett |
| President |
| |
| McCallum lost no time in
complying with President Garrett's request. On the letter of Pres.
Garrett, Genl D. C. McCallum wrote the following endorsement: |
| Office of Director & Genl. Manager |
| R. R. U. S. |
| Washington, D. C. |
| April 20, 1865 |
| |
| To the Superintendent and Officers of
the Military Railway Dept. |
| You are hereby directed to
furnish free transpn. to Mr. Ed. Keith of the Balto. & Ohio Railroad
over any Military Railroad, and to do all in your power to enable him to
carry out the object of his mission, as set forth in the within letter
of Jno. W. Garrett, Prest. of that Company. |
| You will afford Mr. Keith
every facility for identifying the property of the B&O RR Co., and when
so identified, take all reasonable and proper means to cause it to be
delivered. Should it be found, however, that the property so recovered
and identified is needed for service in this Department, you will not
deliver it, but retain it for use of the Government, keeping such record
and account thereof, as to enable the Govt. to settle with the Balto. &
Ohio RR Co. for its use, and eventually to deliver it to that Company. |
| D. C. McCallum |
| Bt. Brig. Genl. and Genl. Manager |
| Military Railroads U. S. |
| |
|
******* |
| |
| It is by no means clear as to
how many cars were taken south from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Key
papers and reports are missing. Such as the report which President
Garrett requested, in his letter of April 17, 1865, from Thatcher
Perkins. Should it ever come to light, it will be a find of great value.
{Sharp's Diary records over 100 cars taken South} |
| In a lecture on April 15,
1890, before the Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania, W. C.
Quincy, who had been Assistant Master of Road for the B. & O. during the
Civil War, quoted from a letter which he had received from aperson whose
name he did not mention, but who was probably Col. Sharp. |
| I have yours of the 19th.
When I went to Winchester in June 1861, I found on the Winchester &
Potomac railroad one hundred and sixty Baltimore & Ohio box and gondola
cars, which I hauled from Winchester to Strasburg. I hauled from
Martinsburg to Strasburg ten locomotives and all of the machinery in the
shops at Martinsburg. Then I hauled from the road-crossing, about a mile
eas of Duffield, over to Halltown five locomotives, which I found
standing on the siding at Duffiedl. I took them over the Winchester &
Potomac to Winchester, and hauled them to Strasburg. The old engine "32"
was left at Haprers Ferry. I rebuilt the bridges between Harpers Ferry
and Halltown and took it to Winchester where I left it. At the time of
the evacuation of Manassas, I had two Baltimore & Ohio engines and One
Manassas Gap engine, and six or eight box-cars at Strasburg. I was at
that time Military-railroad Superintendent at Manassas under General
Johnson, and I ordered the three locomotives and six or eight box-cars
sent to Mt Jackson by rail, and then hauled them down teh valley from
Mt. Jackson to Staunton, fifty miles, put them on the Chesapeake & Ohio
railroad, and took them to Richmond. All of the hauling was done by
horses over the wagon roads, using from twenty-two to forty horses to an
engine according to size. These are the facts in the case, all of which
are verified by my records, which I still have. All the rails taken up,
were hauled to Winchester and Strasburg; some used to build railroad
from Manassas to Centerville, others rolled into armorplate at Richmond
and put on the Merrimac. |
| The writer of this letter, if
he was indeed Col. Sharp, either had incorrect records or a slip of
memory. After the Confederates had left the Potomac Valley in 1862, and
B. & O. officials were able to move in to evaluate the damage, they
reported that eight, not ten, locomotives had been removed from
Martinsburg. They were numbers 126, 188, 199, 204, 208, 226, 231 and
235. No. 32, which he claimed to have carried away, was among the
thirty-six locomotives left at Martinsburg, all of which had been burned
and from which all working parts had been removed and carried away. |
| Perhaps Quincy's correspondent
confused the No. 32 with No. 50, which was taken from Harpers Ferry.
This little six-wheel Baldwin never got beyond the rails of the Manassas
Gap R. R. where Keith found what little remained of it in 1865. |
| With regard to the eleven
engines trapped at Duffields, he was correct in stating that five had
been taken. They were Nos. 33, 34, 76, 83 and 225. The others were
stripped. |
| When he speaks of taking
locomotives to Richmond over the Chesapeake & Ohio, he meant, of course,
the Virginia Central. This road, in later years, became the Chesapeake &
Ohio Railway. |
| Col. Thomas J.
Jackson's raid on the B. & O. in the spring of 1861 was a masterpiece of
pure audacity. He took command of the Virginia forces at Harper's Ferry
on April 27, 1861. Although the small Union force, before their retreat,
had set fire to the Government buildings, and had destroyed a large
stock of rifles, much of the machinery and gun parts ready for assembly
were saved. |
| When it was necessary for
Jackson to give up his position at Harper's Ferry, he dismantled the
machinery in the Government works and shipped it south. For this
operation, he needed B. & O. Cars, and on May 22 he had closed the line
from Point of Rocks to Cherry Run. This bottled up 57 locomotives and
more than 300 cars. |
| The Confederates, retreating
from Harper's Ferry on June 15th, 1861, had destroyed the Government
Works, blown up the B. & O. bridge, and tore up the tracks of the
Winchester & Potomac Railroad as they retired toward Winchester. We know
about how 36 1/2 miles of track on the B. & O. was torn up and much of
the rails and fittings were sent south, while other rails were heated
and twisted around trees. 102 miles of telegraph wire was taken. And we
know about 14 locomotives that were sent over the highways to Strasburg
and Staunton. |
| One small locomotive, No. 50,
an 0-6-0 Baldwin, was sent down to Winchester over the W. & P. R. R.
before the evacuation of Harper's Ferry {this is
highly unlikely, since Sharp found it in Harper's Ferry and hauled it
away on December 5th}, and one Hayes Camel, No. 165,
was thrown into the river. Eleven locomotives were burned at Duffields,
midway between Harper's Ferry and Martinsburg, and at the latter place
44 locomotives were burned, along with the shops and other railroad
buildings. Bridges were destroyed and loaded coal hoppers along the line
were set afire, and they burned for weeks. |
| Captain Thomas R. Sharp,
assisted by Hugh Longest, a civilian exert from Richmond, had been sent
to supervise the removal of B. & O. equipment to the South. They were
interrupted, however, being forced to withdraw from Martinsburg when
Patterson's army crossed the Potomac on July 2,1861. In the meantime,
freight cars that had been concentrated at Winchester were carried over
the highway to Strasburg and were helpful in conveying General Johnston's
troops to Manassas where they saved the day for the Confederacy at Bull
Run on July 21, 1861. |
| The Confederates reoccupied
the railroad from Harper's Ferry to North Branch bridge in August when
the Union forces retreated to Maryland, and continued to move
locomotives, cars, shop machinery and rail over the highway to Strasburg
and Staunton. |
| Locomotives taken from
Duffields were Nos. 33 and 34, rebuilt 0-8-0 Muddiggers; Nos. 76 and 83,
B&O-built 0-8-0's; and No. 225, a Tyson 4-6-0. They stripped the six
Winans Camels of everything except boilers, frames and wheels. |
| From Martinsburg, the
Southerners removed locomotives No. 126, a Norris 4-4-0; No. 188, a
Mason-type 4-4-0; Nos. 199 and 204, Hayes 4-6-0 Camels; No. 208, an
inside-connected Dutch Wagon; No 226, a Tyson 4-6-0; and Nos. 231 and
235, Mason 4-4-0's. The remaining engines at Martinsburg, including four
in the shop, were completely stripped. |
| It has been told of how the
engines were hauled by great teams of horses. All of the wheels, except
the back pair, were removed and heavy wagon-type trucks placed under the
front. But how were the cars transported? Approximately 200 cars were
taken and placed on the Southern Railroads. Was a special type of pole
wagon used? How was the shop machinery moved? The 50-foot turntable? We
have not been able to locate any records, although they may exist in
some obscure files somewhere. But they did move them. The parade of
loaded wagons going south, returning empty, must have appeared like a
giant army supply corps on the move, congesting the roads and trying the
patience of the men in charge. The magnitude of this operation by the
Confederate forces will be understood more clearly by reading the
letters and reports which follow. |
| Some of the material did not
ultimately reach the desired destination. President Garrett received
this letter during the second year of the war: |
| Strasburg, April 30th, 1862 |
| |
| John W. Garrett Esq |
| Balto. |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| There is at this Depot
about 100 car wheels and axles, and about 10 tons of old machinery &c
with perhaps 20 tons of Railroad iron which was brought here by the
Rebel Army from Martinsburg. General Shields did not give them time to
get it away. I think I will visit your city in two or three weeks, and
if you desire I would try and make you a list, of will ship it for you
to Winchester if you can secure conveyance. If our Bridges are to be
rebuilt the cheapest way would be to send to Alexandria. |
| Any information you may
want about it, or any disposition of it in any way, I will take pleasure
in attending to it for you. |
| Respectfully yours, |
| Jno. E. Fleming |
| Agent, Manassas Gap Railroad |
| |
| Here again the
researcher comes up against a blank wall. A reply to Mr. Fleming is not
among the outgoing letters of President Garrett, which have been
preserved, up to now, by the B. & O. R. R. Perhaps Mr. Garrett handed
the letter to one of his officers to handle. Someone did handle it,
however, as witness the following: |
| War Department |
| Washington City, D. C. |
| May 15th, 1862 |
| |
| John W. Garrett, Esq.,
President of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad is authorized to take
possession of and remove from Strasburg, All Machinery, Cars, or parts
of Cars, or other Railroad property, belonging to that company now at
that place. |
| By order of the Secretary of War |
| P. H. Watson |
| Asst. Sec. of War. |
| |
| Office of the Baltimore & Ohio R. R. Co. |
| Baltimore, May 16yh, 1862 |
| |
| To Officers of the Army of the United
States |
| |
| The bearer Mr. John
Anderson, under a pass from the War Department visits Virginia for the
purpose of recovering Materials & Property of this Co removed from our
Road by the Enemy. |
| I beg to request all proper
facilities in the accomplishment of his object by rendering which this
company will be especially obliged. |
| With great respect |
| Your obedient servant |
| J. W. Garrett |
| President |
| |
| Obviously this material was
recovered in due time. But how and when is not known. Perhaps they
waited for the Manassas Gap R. R. to be restored to service and shipped
by way of Alexandria. Sending it to Winchester, as suggested by Mr.
Fleming, would have been of no help as the Winchester & Potomac R. R.
had been destroyed. |
| Some of the rail did get down
the line of the Manassas Gap R. R. because the Confederates used it to
build a rail line from Manassas to Centerville
{Centreville}. President Garrett
learned about this and wrote to the War Department: |
| Washington City |
| May 21st., 1862 |
| |
| Hon. E. M. Stanton |
| Secy of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have been informed that
the Iron with which the Rail Road from Manassas to Centerville is laid
belongs to the B & O Road, having been abstracted by the enemy. |
| This Iron can be identified
by its being arranged for use with the wooden splices and by other
peculiarities. |
| May I ask that an order be
issued that when the property shall be no longer required by the
Government it may be restored to the Balto & Ohio R. R. Co. |
| It is much needed upon our
Road to relay a double track from which it was removed. |
| I have the honor to be |
| Your Obt Servant |
| J. W. Garrett |
| Prest. |
| |
| Action was swift, as the
following correspondence shows: |
| War Department |
| Office of Military Director and Supt of
Railroads, U. S. |
| Washington, May 22, 1862 |
| |
| Hon. P. H. Watson |
| Asst. Secretary of War |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of a letter from Mr. Garrett, President Balto. &
Ohio R. Rd. Co., to the Hon. the Secretary of War, referred to me. |
| In reply, would say, the
road referred to by Mr. Garrett does exist. It was built by the Rebels,
and lays between Manassas and Centreville, a distance of six miles. How
much, if any, of the iron on this road belongs to the Balt. & Ohio R R.
Co. I am unable to say, but think, from the peculiarities of the rails
in use on their road, they will be able to identify any or all of the
rails in question which may belong to them. I have ordered an
investigation of the kind and number of rails, the result of which will
be reported to you as soon as ascertained. |
| This line is not in use,
and will not be needed as a military road. |
| In a communication from the
Quartermaster General, dated this 20th, instant, I am directed to take
up and appropriate the iron on the road in question for railroad
repairs. |
| Awaiting your instructions
in the premises, |
| I have the honor to be, Sir, |
| Very respectfully, |
| Your obt. servant |
| D. C. McCallum |
| M. D & Supt R. Rds. U. S. |
| |
| |
| War Department |
| Washington City, D. C. |
| May 22d, 1862 |
| |
| Col. D. C. McCallum |
| Military Director, &c |
| |
| Colonel, |
| In reply to your
communication of this morning I am directed by the Secretary of War to
inform you that if, on examination, you find in the track of the
railroad between Manassas and Centreville any rails belonging to the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, he will direct them to be delivered
to John W. Garrett, Esq., the President of that Company. |
| Very respectfully |
| Your obedient servant |
| P. H. Watson |
| Asst. Secretary of War |
| |
| No further records were found
with regard to this, but it is assumed that the B. & O. did get its
rails. |
| |
|
******* |
| Edward Keith was an
indefatigable worker. With carte blanche to wander at will over the
Government-controlled railroads in Virginia and North Carolina, he was
continually jumping from place to place in the years of 1865 and
1866,searchig for B. & O. property. He was often frustrated by lack of
cooperation, by the desire of the Southerners to mislead him or conceal
from him the properties they hoped to retain, if possible They placed
obstacles in his path, but Keith was not to be denied. Often he was
short of funds, continually making urgent appeals to Baltimore, where
clerks in the Treasurer's office were reluctant to be hurried. Routine
was routine, and must be followed slowly. |
| Keith was an impatient man, as
witness the haste in which he wrote his reports; his disregard of
punctuation, capitalization, and spelling, even in the names of cities.
But all of this can be forgiven when we consider the stress under which
he was working. |
| In April 1865, the network of
railroads in the South was in a shambles. As a consequence, many of the
standard-gauge railroads were unavailable because of destroyed bridges
and torn-up track. The Government insisted that all recovered Northern
property be cleared through Alexandria. This posed a problem for Keith.
He had proposed sending some locomotives, cars and other material by
ship from New Bern, N. C., but the B. & O. Management thought it too
risky. As the Wilmington & Weldon, Petersburg, Richmond &
Petersburg, Virginia Central, and Orange & Alexandria route was not
available throughput its extent, he was forced to concentrate most of
the property recovered in North Carolina at Danville. From Goldsboro to
Greensboro he had the standard-gauge North Carolina R. R. and from
Greensboro to Danville the newly-built Piedmont R. R. But then his real
trouble began. In order to reach City Point, it was necessary to use the
Richmond & Danville R. R. to Burkeville, and then the South Side R. R.
through Petersburg to City Point. Both of these were broad-gauge
railroads. It was necessary to buy or borrow broad-gauge trucks which
were placed under B. & O. cars, hauling their own trucks. Make-shift
trucks were placed under the jacked-up locomotives. There seemed to be
no difficulty with clearances along the lines. |
| At City Point, the equipment
was loaded on steam boats and barges for shipment to Alexandria, via the
James River, Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. Later in 1865,
service had been restored on most of the railroads, and Keith then was
able to use the Virginia Central and the Orange & Alexandria railroads. |
| After clearance by the
Government at Alexandria, the subsequent journey was easy. The
Alexandria & Washington R. R. had been completed and the Government had
built a railroad bridge across the Potomac parallel to the Long Bridge,
and B. & O. had laid tracks, for through traffic between the North and
South, from its New Jersey Avenue Station along First Street and
Maryland Avenue, in Washington, to connect with the Alexandria &
Washington at the north end of the bridge. That is the route by which
the equipment eventually came home to the B. & O. |
| The reports and letters which
follow tell an interesting story. We reproduce them "as is" with
incorrect spelling and lack of punctuation, which we attribute to
Keith's urgency and not to his lack of education. There are many gaps in
this correspondence; many letters and reports missing at this time. It
is doubtful if they will ever be found after a lapse of one hundred
years. |
| We pick up the story in April
1865, with Keith's first report of record: |
| Petersburg, April 25th 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Anderson |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have had a very good
success thus far. I have identified two Engines and twenty cars The
first engine I found at city Point she is a Mason engine and is now
running for Govt between City Point and Burkvill Sixty two miles. She is
named the Holden Rhodes and is also numbered which is No 8. She was run
out of Richmond at the time of Evacuation of that place and has been
used by Govt since The other engine I found at the Weldon Shop she is
the 208 and is up off her wheels. All of her connections are here and
wheels I find ninteen cars & four pair of car wheels |
| 2 |
|
Iron House Cars |
| 4 |
|
Gondola " |
| 13 |
|
House
" |
| 4 |
|
Pairs trucks |
|
| Some of these cars are in
bad condition the wood work is rotten and will not pay to move |
| This place is ten miles
from City Point. I shall need a man to oversee loading of these trucks
into the cars that are sound and also to put trucks under the 208 so
that she can be hauled to City Point. I can hire plenty of laboring men
here cheaper than they could send from home as we should have to pay
there board. If our rigger could be spared to come down to oversee this
part of the work I could in the meantime be looking up other engines and
cars which I have got the track of. Please confer with Mr. Perkins in
regard to this matter and instruct me how to proceed When I get them to
city Point I should have to charter a schooner to convey them to
Baltimore if you think best which is the only way we can get them from
this point. You will also have to send me more money to pay laboring
hands. Let me hear from you as soon as possible in regard to this matter
and send me a man so that I can commence to move as soon as I can see
Col Moore who has charge of this section |
| Please direct in care of
agent U States Military Roads at Petersburg Mr Barnard is his name |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| To Mr J. W. Garrett President |
| Baltimore & Ohio R Rd |
| (Why the foregoing letter was
addressed to Mr. Anderson, Secretary of the Company, in the salutation,
and then directed to President Garrett at the close is not quite clear.) |
| |
| Richmond, April 26, 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have found a boiler
center bearing and cylinders of an engine that was taken early in the
war I think it was a baldwin build or it was one built by the company at
Mt Clare. The flue sheets and flues are gone. I also found two house
cars but the wood work is rotten and will not pay to move. I could have
it the iron work put into a schooner and have her stop at City Point and
fill up with the other engines and some cars or dispose of it as Old
Iron as it is not worth much more I have got reliable information that
the Lathes and other machinery was sent further south to Raleigh and
also engines. and as Govt is operating the road from that place to
Newbern it will be the nearest point to ship that from |
| The Superintendent of the
Va Central Road told me today that he did not know when that road would
be opened or wether Govt would take it and open it but that they had no
money at present to open it. I sent you a letter from Petersburg hope
you have received it by this time. There is plenty of men laying around
doing nothing that can be got very cheap to load the trucks and cars and
engines. I hope to have instructions from you son. Direct to Petersburg
Care Mr. Barnard U S Military R Rd Agent |
| Yours Repct |
| E. Keith |
| (Keith should have used a
comma after the word "boiler" in the first sentence of this letter. What
he found was the boiler, as well as the center bearing and cylinders of
the No. 50.) |
| |
| Petersburg May 1st 1865 |
| |
| Mr Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| Since I wrote to you last I
had a talk with Col Moore who has charge of the Military Roads in
Virginia under Genl McCallum. He told me that he would have these
engines shiped to Alexandria and I thought the Company were doing
business with the Govt that would be agreeable to you for me to make
that arrangement. There are many Bodies of cars that are not worth
moving I though best to load the trucks into the cars that were and have
them haul to City Point and shiped. I have found one of the Lathes at
Danvill shop in Richmond since writing last. and have got trace of more
of them at Raleigh and also some of the engines. But thought it best to
ship these first as none of the lines are open yet ut will be in a few
days so I can get to them. Nos 225 & 226 are on Piedmont Road No 83 in
Raleigh. No 188 North Carolina Rd. |
| The big lathe taken from
Martinsburg I am told is in Burns Shop at Danvill. and most of the
others I am informed were taken to Raleigh by a man named Sharp who had
charge of the Confederate Government shop and took them to that place.
Engines 33 & 34 & 126 I am also informed are down that way I am informed
that the Danvill Company are going to open there road as soon as
possible. Do you hear anything about the Orange & Alexandria Rd being
opened soon |
| Please keep me informed so
that after I get this gathered up about here I may know how to take the
other engines and cars. I have been at work with men to day to get some
trucks under the 208 so as to have her hauled to City Point. I hope to
have her and the Holden Rhodes home next week |
| Please inform me if I am
acting according to your wishes |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| |
| Petersburg May 5th 1865 |
| |
| Mr Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| Since my last letter to you
I have found a lathe and plainer belonging to the Company at the
Fredericksburg shop in good running order. When I showed them my papers
the Superintendent told me he supposed I had come after it but said that
they would have to buy others and wanted to know if you would sell them
I told him I would refer the matter to you |
| He bought them from the
Confederate Govt and paid them four hundred dollars for the two. |
| They are small sized both
lathe and plainer, and I should suppose cost two hundred dollars apiece
when new. I have been told that a man by the name of Sharp who was the
Master Mechanic of the Govt shops disposed of this Machinery to
different Companys, and shops but I have confidence to believe I shall
trace it all out |
| The lathe and plainer I
spoke of in my last letter at Danvill shop I shall be able to trace out
where it came from in a few days although I have no question in my own
mind where it came from and am satisfied it belongs to the Company. I
told you also that I expected to have those engines home by the last of
next week But since the army is ordered home the Govt has had a great
deal of ordinance to ship so that Mr Moore told me it might be ten or
twelve days before he could ship our engines and cars home. I have had
the stock gathered up and tomorrow I go to Danvill and other points. I
wish you would send on some money soon as I need ti to defray expenses
of labor. I have been further informed that Engines 76 - 33 - 34 were
put into Gun Boats on the Cape Fear River, but I shall soon be able to
ascertain more fully in regard to them. |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| Please direct an answer to this Care Mr
Ruth Superintendent Fredericksburg & Potomac R Rd Richmond |
| |
| Mr. Garrett wrote to Keith at
Petersburg on May 6, 1865, advising him that his proceedings, as
reported, were approved. He urged him to ship everything to Alexandria
for final identification and to continue to hunt. |
| Andrew Anderson, Company
Secretary, wrote to Keith, at Richmond, on May 12, 1865, saying, in
part: |
| ... it would be unwise for the Company
to sell any of the Lathes you have secured, to the parties you name,
unless they pay a sum that will equal the cost to the Co. for a similar
article. The Company intends, of course, to restore all of this
description of machinery in the shops from which it was originally
carried. You might, however, ascertain what prices the parties will pay,
and submit them (accompanied with a statement of the size, etc. of the
machinery) for the consideration and action of the President. |
| |
| |
| TELEGRAM Petersburg, May 13, 1865 |
| |
| J. W. Garrett |
| I have found all of the
engines but two 2, I am waiting funds. |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| E. H. Keith made a hurried
trip to Baltimore, and visited the office of Mr. Garrett on May 15th,
1865. While there he dictated the following report: |
| #231 (Taunton) now known as
"Holden Rhodes," running on Petersburg and Richmond road, in the service
of the Government. Badly in want of repairs -- driving box worn out,
down on truck springs, etc. |
| #208 (Dutch Wagon) now
known as "Genl Huger" at Weldon shop at Petersburg. Needs thorough
overhauling. Crank axle broke and gone. There is a new crank axle in
inner passenger depot which might be placed under this engine. |
| #226 (Tyson 10-wheeler) now
known as the "Robert E. Lee" at Danville shop, Danville. Crowning sheet
cracked, and wants general overhauling. Is in condition to be run for
removal. |
| #225 (Tyson 10-wheeler) now
known as the "Hercules" on Piedmont road, 10 miles from Danville. Wants
general overhauling, but may be run for removal. |
| #83 (8-wheel connected, Co.
build) now known as the "Genl Price" at Manassas Gap shop, Greensburg,
N. C. Wants overhauling, but can be run for removal. |
| #33 (8-wheel connected, Co
build) at Manassas Gap shop Greensburg, N. C. Bad condition. Will
require truck under her. |
| #199 (Camel back 10
wheeler) but now partly altered for passenger service. At Manassas Gap
Shop, Greensburg, N. C. Cannot be run in present condition. |
| #50 (Baldwin) The shell of
the boiler, frame and two cylinders, and center bearing, and casting of
the two front trucks, area all that remains of this machine. |
| #235 (Mason) now
known as "Powhatan," Danville shop, Danville. Pretty fair order and can
be easily moved. |
| #188 (Mason pattern) now
known as the "Calvin Graves," at what is called the Company's shops at
the N. Carolina Central road, 22 miles from Greensburg, N. C. Good
order. Can be easily moved. |
| #204 (Camel back 10
wheeler) at Co's shop of the N. C. Central road. Bad order. Will require
trucks under her before she can be moved. |
| #76 (8 wheel connected, Co
build) at the Co's shops of the N. C. Central road. Condition bad, but
can be hauled. |
| Mr. Keith understands the
other two engines, No. 34 (8 wheel connected, Co built) and No. 126
(Norris) are either at Wilmington, N. C., or their boilers put into gun
boats on the Cape Fear river. |
| |
| Mr. Keith has found and
identified the following cars, viz: -- |
| One gondola (No. 2881) at
City Point. Trucks good. Body bad, and wont pay to remove. |
| One gondola (No. 2516) at
Petersburg. Fair condition. |
| One house car (867) at
Petersburg. Nothing but the trucks, and they loaded in No. 2516. |
| One house car at
Petersburg, and two iron house cars, all in good order. |
| |
| The following cars and
trucks are now at the Weldon shop, Petersburg |
| Five (5) flats, loaded with
17 pairs of trucks, springs, castings, draft rods, etc. These are
portions of Co's cars that had been burned in Weldon yard for fuel for
that Co's machinery |
| 3 house cars, loaded with
bolts and connections of the engine No. 208. Cars in fair order. |
| 3 house cars at the Weldon
passenger depot in Petersburg. Two are in fair order, and the third has
only the trucks good. |
| |
| At the Manassas Gap shop,
Greensburg, N. C. there are four (4) house cars in good order. In this
yard there are also 2 cylinders belonging to engine 34, car springs,
wheels and other pieces of machinery, the property of this Company. |
| |
| Mr. Keith has traces of
additional cars and machinery belonging to the Co. which he expects to
identify and recover on his second trip. |
| |
| Belonging to this Co. he
has also traced the following shop machinery:- |
| One lathe and plainer at
Fredericksburg Co's shop in Richmond. Fair running order and parties now
using them desirous of purchasing. |
| One lathe at Danville shop,
Manchester. Tool stock but no head |
| One large chuck lather at
the Manassas Gap shop, Greensburg, N. C. In good order. |
| One long lathe, double
headed, and one plainer in good order. Same place as above. |
| One large drill press, not
yet fully identified. Same as above. |
| One punch and shear, same
as above. Broken by removal |
| One large chuck lathe. M.
K. understands is broken up, but has not been able to trace this
definitely |
| One stationary boiler, on
the platform at Danville. Not yet fully identified. There are two of
these, and a Mr. Longest informed Mr. K that one of them was the
property of this Company. |
| (Here the report ends abruptly) |
| |
| Keith did not tarry long in
Baltimore. Five day later he was at New Bern, N. C. |
| |
| Newbern, May 20th, 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| I arrived at Greensboro N C
on the 19th Fryday and after having some talk with Mr Morgan who is
acting as Superintendent for Manassas Gap Co, I started for Genl Cox's
Head Qrs handed him my papers he gave me an order to take engines and
machinery where ever I found it and also authority to run it over any of
the roads in N C I then gave a copy to Mr Morgan and also sent one to Mr
Dodgemead {Dodamead} Super of Piedmont Rd. I then took engine 225 had her fired up
and run her to Greensboro put a man on her to shift cars so I could get
at the shop and commence loading our Machinery. I then started at 4 P
for this place and arrived here yesterday eve and in inquiring found
that there was a good chance to load our engines and it is in still
water can run them right on to dock by rail |
| Col W. W Wright told me
that all of the Govt engines came down perfectly safe and they brought
them down in March to Moorhead City 36 miles below here but advised me
to load them here If you thought best as it was a better place and still
water and says that he should think it advisable for me to bring our
stock down here and load it in preference to taking it over the Danville
road. I cannot find but one pair of trucks that I can alter from narrow
gauge to wide gauge and it would take a great while to get them all to
Richmond and we should have to reload all of the Machinery at Danville
and we could not get the cars over in a month if we had to wait for
trucks. There is no prospect of the Weldon road being open for some time
but if after we get ready to move if you think best to wait for that
road to open please let me know |
| But then we should have to
take it to City Point and there load it or else wait for the Bridge to
be built across the river at Manchester and I hear that they are doing
anything towards opening the Fredericksburg Rd or the Va Central. I
could have this stock part home if not al by the time they get ready to
open the roads. I sent you a telegram last night did you receive it. I
have found 4 more Gondolas & 2 House cars since I came back. |
| I shall be ready to load a
vessel this week if you so order it and make arrangements for shipping
Co. W Wright is willing to do all he can towards helping me if
arrangements can be made so as to give him orders to do so he might get
some vessels here that are now in port and commence at once to load I
shall start for Mr Sharp son as I get an answer to Telegram sent you.
Please answer soon and direct to this place care of J Van Dyne
Superintendent U S Military Roads at this place |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| P S |
| There are more of our cars
on Raleigh & Gaston Rd and also on Charlotte Rd |
| |
| |
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad |
| President's Office |
| Baltimore, May 23d, 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Edward E. Keith |
| Care Mr. Barnard |
| U. S. Military RRd Agent |
| Petersburg, Va. |
| |
| Sir, |
| Your telegram of the 21st.
inst. has been received this day by the President. |
| The method you suggest of
transporting the Company's property by schooner of light draught, would
be hazardous, expensive and unsatisfactory. You will therefore abandon
this means of transportation. |
| The great object to be
accomplished with all the property of the Company is: |
| First - To get all
south of Danville brought to that point where this can be done at slight
cost. |
| Second - With all
machinery, etc. that is disabled, and which cannot be moved to Danville
wihtou inconvenience and considerable expense, you will please be
careful to note its location, condition and character, and see that it
is in such position as not to be destroyed or stolen. The Government
employees will doubtless give you every assistance in carrying out this
view, and will also arrange for the transfer from Danville, - and
probably from points further south - to Alexandria. |
| Third - There is no
immediate hurry about the shipment of damaged or cumbersome machinery.
With such, your attention should be more directed to its safety.
Your chief aim should be to trace and examine all the property of the
Company, making full reports as to its location, character and
condition. |
| By calling on the principal
Government officers, you will find that they have orders to ship the
property of this Company, along with all Govt. railway property, to
Alexandria. State to them where such property of ours is, and urge upon
them its prompt shipment. |
| Respectfully yours, |
| Andrew Anderson |
| (Apparently Keith did not
receive the foregoing letter, as a notation on the back reads: Retd.
thru dead letter office Sept 1st 1865. It may be assumed that Keith did
receive these same instructions at a later date.) |
| In the meantime, Keith was
allowing no grass to grow under his feet, as we soon find him moving on
to Wilmington. |
| |
| Wilmington, N. C. May 25, 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett, Pres of B & O RR |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have found engine 126,
now known as the Stonewall Jackson Also found that the boiler of engine
34 was put into the Gun Boat Flora McDonald and was sunk in the river
opposite this place. I also found one house car. The eccentrc rods have
been taken from the engine, also the smoke stack which was used the Govt
to put on engine Genl Scofield. I shall have he hauled to Goldsboro
tomorrow and also the car and shall collect up as I go along towards
Raleigh unless I hear something to the contrary from you. I cannot get
any answers to Despatches sent. I sent one to Col. Moore Sunday to know
if he could ship any of our stock from City Point but as yet have
received no answer. |
| Please send letters to Greensboro
and Danville Direct to Greensboro Care Mr Freet Manassas Gap Shop. To
Danville Care Charles Marshall U. S. Military R. Rds Dept. I hear that
there are a number of our cars at Weldon and I shall probably get there
by the day after tomorrow and unless I hear from you I shall run it all
to Richmond. I shall manage some way to get five foot trucks to put
under the engines to run them over the Danville Road. I shall write next
from Raleigh. |
| Yours |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| The Manassas Gap shop at
Greensboro had no connection with the Manassas Gap R. R. further north.
{Sagle is in error here. The Manassas Gap RR had
been forced out of its shops as the war headed south and had resettled
in Greensboro. It supported its own rolling stock, which was leased to
other railroads and the Government, and assisted in supporting the
rolling stock used on the Piedmont RR during the last year of the war.} |
| (Keith must have been
misinformed by his Southern advisors with regard to the boiler from No.
34. There is reliable evidence that this boiler was placed in the
gunboat Neuse, and not in the Flora McDonald. The latter
was a small iron-hulled side wheeler, built in Wilmington, Delaware in
1854. The C. S. S. Neuse was built at Whitehall, N. C., and
completed at Kingston, N. C. in 1862-1863. The hulk was found in the
Neuse River near Kingston, N. C. in about 1960 and the engine and boiler
mounts indicate that her machinery was adopted from a locomotive
identical in size and arrangement to the No. 34.) From records in the
Smithsonian Institution, Department of Land Transportation.
{This issue is still not completely resolved,
since the #34 was in no way unique, being in all sizes and compositions
much the same as dozens (hundreds?) of other locomotives from the early
1850's.} |
| |
| Raleigh N. C. May 31, 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have just come in from
Weldon. I there found ten pairs of truck the cars having been burnt also
one car was saved |
| I could not fine any trucks
that would do to move the engines with over the Danville road, but have
heard that there was some trucks at Charlotte and that there was also
some of our machinery at that point. I have got the Stonewall Jackson up
this far and also three house cars. I found one pair of driving wheels &
a lot of car springs which I found at the N. C. Shop at this place. I
shall have them put into one of the cars in the morning and if possible
I shall have them hauled to Greensboro tomorrow. As the Government is
using these roads so much it is a very difficult matter to get the 126
up this far from Wilmington. I had to have her tires lined up before I
could start from that point with her and that detained me a day and had
I not been aquainted with the men they would have backed her off on the
road as they had a very heavy train but as it was they had to back off
two loaded cars. and after I got to Goldsboro I had to lay from Saturday
until Monday eve. and yesterday morning I went to Weldon and got back
this eve It seems Slow work to me but if a stranger were here he would
get along slower still and I know that if I did not move it all along as
I went it would be harder to get it after these roads were turned over
to the companys as they have no rolling stock to get over the road with.
As soon as I get this engine to Greensboro I shall start them all to
Danville as I shall have one of our engines to work with and shall not
be dependent on the N. C. Company for power And while the men that I
have hired are hauling the engines and cars and Machinery to Danville I
shall go up to Charlotte and get those trucks to bring down to Danville.
I have not heard anything from you since I left but hope to find a
letter when I get to Greensboro I have written three to you one from
Newbern, one from Wilmington, and one from Goldsboro. I made
arrangements with a white man and some negroes to load those trucks at
Weldon, and will have them hauled up as soon as I can get around. This
is the only road but what had some of our stock and I expect they will
want the company to pay some freight for hauling those trucks up. But I
shall go and see the Genl councl and see if I can not get an order from
him to have them hauled it being captured property. I shall write again
as soon as I get back from Charlotte. |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| |
| Danville June 4, 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| Since I last wrote you I
found at Raleigh fiftytwo car springs a pair of engine truck wheels that
came out from under the 208 which will be what I want to put under the
204 at the company shops on the N. C. road. I was detained with 126
three days at Raleigh on act of Govt freight being so heavy over the N C
road the company said they could not have it and I sent a despatch to
the superintendent of the road that I had an engine and three cars to
haul to Greensboro he sent word to the Agt to see that the freight was
prepaid. I told the agent that I was not disposed to pay it at that time
and would address a letter to him and did so stating to him that I have
stock at different points along the line and I wanted to take one engine
and collect it and as I understood you to say you did not want to sell
the 188 I must have her but when he replied to me he stated that if he
recollected right my orders read that if engines were needed for the use
of Govt they could retain them and that he did not wish to keep he
unnessarily but would give her up as soon as he got an engine out of the
house, but said that he would give orders along the line to have
everything hauled that I had to be hauled. I gave him to understand that
he did not come under my orders as they were a private comp and Govt had
nothing to do with there road as far as management was concerned and
that I knew you would expect to pay for the use of engine service I told
him I was sent to take the engine home I would like to have you state or
give me orders what charge there will be made per day since I notified
them as they have run her twentyone days since I first told them. I am
here to day to make arrangements with the Super of the Govt road at this
place to commence shipping over the Danville road tomorrow as I have got
together six pairs of heavy trucks and I am ready to ship eleven engines
an twentythree car loads of Machinery and the cars I have found about
seventy feet of shafting since I last wrote you. I have not received any
letters from you since I left and have been to the offices at all of the
different places where I have been hoping that I might find a letter
from you. |
| Please to write to Richmond
soon as you receive this and let me know if you have made arrangements
for shipping at that point as I can not get but six pairs of trucks and
if I could only road them right on to vessels that govt is unloading at
that point it would forward me very much as I could send the trucks
right back to this place to load others on. I sent to Petersburg to
night to know if there was any letters from you. I have telegraphed
there two or three times but could receive no answer. Please to writ to
this point also as I shall be operating between this point and Richmond
for some days and I am very anxious to hear from you. |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| P S |
| I have got information
where where is more of our machinery a as soon as I can I shall attend
to it |
| |
| Greensboro June 5th 1865 |
| Borrowed and Rec from Wilson
McCausland the sum of one hundred and sixty one dollars and seventy five
cents to pay for labor collecting up Property in N C on ac of Balto &
Ohio RRd co |
| |
|
$161.75 |
|
|
Deduct six dollars for board |
6.00 |
|
| |
|
$155.75 |
|
|
| E. H. Keith |
| (This note was sent to the B. & O. R. R.
for payment from Wilson McCausland, Care of R. J. Hughes, Penna. R. R.
Office, Philadelphia.) |
| |
| |
| On the Road June 6th 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| I met Mr. Frees a man that
used to run for our company He said he was on his way home t Martinsburg
so I thought I would send a few lines to you by him. |
| I have got only 6 pairs of
heavy trucks, and if I do not have a chance to ship as soon as I get to
Richmond with the engines it will detain me a great while. I shall start
an engine tomorrow on to Richmond and if the arrangements have been made
so that I can ship please let me know and answer to Richmond for I shall
be there with the second engine that goes down I have all of our cars
that I have found loaded up and I can not proceed to collect any more
until I get these shipped off. |
| The boiler that was taken
from Martinsburg shop was shiped on to City Point when I came back, and
I thought it best to let you know so that if it should come on to
Alexandria with Govt property you could have a man there to identify it,
and there might be some other stock come by with Govt property that
might escape my notice |
| I do not know as you will
able to make this out as it is written while the train is running. |
| There are parties on some
of these roads disposed to throw all they can in my way but for they
hate to see there shops cleaned out and shafting taken down |
| I shall write every day or
two |
| Please direct letters to
Richmond & also to Danville so that if they dont reach me at one point I
will get them at the other |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| |
| Greensboro, June 9, 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have just come from
Danville. And spend the few moments I have to spare before the train
leaves on the N C road to inform you that since my last letter to you I
have found a large quantity of material such as Rods for camel engines,
stub ends, straps, Hopper springs, and a whole sett of heavy springs for
a camel engine, packing, Brasses, in fact I can not enumerate to you how
much of each until I load it up. I have placed a man over it to watch it
and not to allow a single person to go into the lot ---- ---- to be that
when I had got in the shop nearly all of the rolling stock and Machinery
mainly gathered up at this place the Master Mechanic and car builder and
also the assistant Superintendent would frequently ask me if I had not
got all our stock together. I told them that I had not and they knew
better than I. But I found that one of the party could be worked on and
I judged he felt guilty and I see that I could operate on his feelings
and I appealed to him pretty strongly and he told me that he had already
been censured by the officers of the company for telling or answering
some questions that I asked him. But says he go and look in such a lot
and see what you can see. I went and there I found piles of material.
But I stop the train is coming and I finish it tomorrow. |
| Danville June 11 |
| I went to Comps Shops on N
C Rd yesterday to see Mr Sumner as he had stoped my train from coming up
after they had got all ready to leave and were to follow the regular
train to Greensboro |
| He had gone to Newbern I
asked his assistant if he could tell me why the train was detained. he
said he could not only that it was his order to do so from Mr Sumner. I
told him I could not wait until he came back as my time was too precious
to wait until Monday. But I wrote him a letter asking him to explain to
me why the train was held up after telling me that I should have
anything hauled over the road that I wanted. But I think it is because I
did not pay the freight to Raleigh for the Stonewall Jackson. Enclosed I
send you a copy of the letter I wrote to him yesterday hope you will
approve of the same |
| My train at the shops
consist of 4 engines and 7 cars, three of these were at this point and
the other was the one I brought from Raleigh |
| I find the frame and
machinery of engine 34 in that lot I refered to. I have brought engines
225 & 199 & 6 car loads of machinery to Da, got big lathe on that train
and I have found another lathe since I last wrote you |
| |
| (Letter to Mr. Sumner, referred to above.) |
| Comp Shops, N C June 10th 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Sumner |
| |
| Sir, |
| I came down last eve from
Greensboro to see you and to know why my train was detained here But my
time is precious and I have got a great deal of stock between Greensboro
& Richmond & City Point so I could not remain longer at present As I
stated to you in the communication I sent you from Ra I had stock all
along the line of your road and could not gather it up and have it
hauled by regular train and wanted our engine to do it with. And I
thought when I got it gathered up then was a proper time for settlement
as you had been using the Graves from the 14th of last month until the
3d of the present month and it is something I cannot understand after
your telling me at Greensboro that you would anything hauled over the
road that I wanted and then sent an order to retain the train here until
you came. You mentioned in your letter that you thought you came under
my order But I would say that my order was to Military R Roads and
Governed by Govt oficers and they were ordered to keep a strict account
of stock retained so that Govt would be able to settle with B &Ohio RRd
co for the use of it |
| I am compeled to leave to
night but I wish you would leave a letter in case of your absence
explaining why the train is detained here |
| Your Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| P S |
| I want to get a refusal
from him in writing to let the train go the Genl Cox will give me
authority to take it. |
| |
| |
| TELEGRAM City Point, June 15, 1865 |
| I have got 1 engine &
tender 8 cars 14 trucks 3 pair wheels 1 driving wheel car springs car
iron & connections to Eng. Col. Moore is in Washn. I want you to answer
to Richmond. |
| E. H. Keith |
| Agent |
| |
| On June 16, 1865, Andrew
Anderson wrote to Keith, at Richmond, saying, in part:- |
| The President has received
your com'n of th, 9th and 11th inst. and is pleased with your action as
therein reported. |
| The President is desirous
that you press the Gov't. authorities to get our machinery shipped to
Alexandria at the earliest practicable moment. Gen'l McCallum informed
the Pres. that it is the will of the Gov't. to do so promptly, and that
all machinery and other property will be brought by them to Alexandria,
where it can be identified and handed over to the owner. |
| We received yesterday the engine
"Holden Rhodes." Advise us, as nearly as you can, when shipments of our
property takes place, and if possible when they will reach Alexandria. |
| |
| |
| Danville, June 21st 1865 |
| |
| Mr Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| Yours of June 16th is rec
containing a letter of credit for $300 which I obtained of Apperson
Bankers at Richmond and sent there draft accompanying the letter from Mr
Atkinson to you hope you have recd it |
| I am still pushing the
stock as fast as possible. When the first lot was ready to ship Mr Moore
who is the proper person to give orders for shipping at city Point was
absent at Washington. As I stated in my telegram to you and the other
parties did not want to assume the authority unless they had orders from
him |
| But there will not be any
trouble in the future or delay. The Jefferson will take these engines up
as fast as possible she takes two at a time and it takes here four days
to make the trip up and back provided the weather is not rough in the
Bay |
| The cars and material will
be loaded on barges. I will inform you when there is any starts from the
Point. By Telegraph. By the time this reached you the Huger and the cars
will have arrived. I shall then ship the Powatan & 199 when she returns.
I have had many things to contend with and many obstacles have been
thrown in my way but I shall overcome them all |
| At Greensboro I had to
borrow $161 dollars to pay some men with and as the man was going on to
Balto I thought it best to get it of him as I wanted to use it before I
could get down to Richmond to get a letter of credit from you. |
| Mr McCausland is the mans
name that I got the money of But there is six dollars to be deducted out
of that leaving one hundred and fifty five dollars due him |
| yesterday morning the
Powatan left here for Burkvill & tomorrow the 199 will leave here. and I
am going up to Greensboro to day to arrange with my foreman so as to
urge things on as fast as possible. |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| Enclosed find a copy of the note or
order I gave Mr McClausland with a deduction of 6 dollars I paid out for
him afterwards |
| (McClausland had arranged for
Keith to pay his board bill after he had departed.) |
| |
| |
| Danville June 26th 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| Since my last letter to you
there has come a rush of troops over the Piedmont Road and Danville &
Richmond Rd so that it has nearly stoped my moving any machinery or
engines as there was not power enough on the Danville road to move the
troops as the came I have the 188 on Piedmont Rd working between here
and Greensboro But the Danville Rd being five foot guage it has stoped
my progress for a day or so until Mr Dorance can get more power up from
Manchester (This town seems to have completely disappeared on modern
maps. L. W. S.) {I believe this is the city across
the James River from Richmond, where the shops of the Richmond &
Danville RR were located.} |
| Mr Dorance took the
Piedmont Rd on the 25th By orders of U S Treasury Department. so that it
will be a help to me. I dont know wether my influence had anything to do
with it or not. But when I was told that Govt was going to turn over the
road from Burkell Junction I went to see Mr Dorance and urged him to
hold on to the road a while longer as the Government had a great deal of
stock cars &c that had to be collected up and I had the comps to get
down over these roads, and I though it policy for them to hold on to the
road a while longer and he did not know as well as I did how much there
was of Govt property to collect. In my last communication to you in
regard to the Engine Calvin Graves that the N C co were using, you
stated that you approved of my action in retard to charging the comp for
the use o her. I would say that they will not give up those engines
until the freight is paid I would say that I demanded the Calvin Graves
of them to collect the stock and they would not giver he up but
afterwards took her and hauled up {next line not
legible, except for the words "left" and "side track"} but gave
there Agt orders not to let the property be moved on to Piedmont Road
until the freight was paid. I have made out a Bill and sent it to the N
C Comp for the use of engine Calvin Graves twenty one days after I
presented my orders at the rate of thirty dollars per day making six
hundred & thirty dollars. I shall not pay for any freight unless you
give me orders to that effect because they have had the use of the stock
belonging to the B & O Co for some days after the surrender & before I
presented my orders, and they got hundreds of pounds of Comps brass and
melted it up before the surrender. (This I know) and they that is the
superintendant told my foreman that he would be damed if he would pay a
bill for the use of the Graves. I would like an order from the War
Department authorizing me to collect up any and all stock on there road
and belonging to B & O R Rd co and run it over there road to Greensboro.
I would state that I have given our Govt Supt Mr Dorance information
where all of the U S Engines & Cars were so that they would be able to
identify it or them as I know every particle of it And now in return I
would like an order to get ours Please give me orders soon as possible
in regard to the matter. I would say in regard to finances, that I think
it will take nearly if not quite a thousand dollars to get together all
of the stock from different points that I know of namely Saulsburg
{I believe this is Salisbury}-
Columbia S C - Lynchburg - and there is another lot of 130 pairs of
wheels at Petersburg that I have got trace of |
| I think there will be 25
car loads altogether of that stock & material in the Manassas Gap yard
at Greensboro |
| I would say that there are
three engines and six cars standing on the N C Rd at Greensboro ready to
come on that they are now holding. I have not been detained as yet by
there holding them for I had plenty of stock at the Manassas Gap cos
Yard to load |
| Yours Respectfully |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| |
| TELEGRAM Danville, June 30, 1865 |
| Jno. W. Garrett |
| Engine Powhattan left City
Point the 29th on Steamer Jefferson |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| On July 1, 1865, Keith
received a letter from President Garrett, which read: |
| I have your letter of 26th
and telegram of 30th. |
| I think a conference
desirable. I will then instruct regarding future action. |
| |
| We have no record of what
transpired at the conference, but in about ten days Keith was back in
North Carolina. |
| |
| Greensboro, July 13, 1865 |
| |
| Mr Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| I delivered your
communication to Mr Sumner on the 11th He told Mr Scott the agent at
Greensboro to remit to him the bill that he had charged on the freight
from Comp Shop to Greensboro but to charge the eighty one dollars &
ninety cents from Raleigh to Greensboro which I aid and took the engines
away on the Piedmont Road and would have had them all down to City Point
this week if I could have got the power to have hauled them. But there
has been so many soldiers coming for the last three days that it has
been utterly impossible for me to get them down but I think that the
Govt will have to hold the South Side road until the middle of next week
on account of these troops and I may possibly get them through In my
despatch to you I estimated that it would be for the interest of Govt to
hold the road hoping that you might ask Mr Moore to hold on to it two or
three days longer. Mr Sumner tried to excuse himself for holding our
train at the Com Shop on the grounds that he could not get any
communication over the wire from Goldsboro to Comp Shop to his assistant
and the train was held there until he came up. He says that he has not
used the Hercules. But I told him that he had had here in his possession
as she was marked N C R R co which was three engines of the comp that he
had used namely Calvin Graves, Orion and Hercules, the orion was
formerly the No 76. He said that the charge from Raleigh was a
legitimate charge as the engine came off of another road. I would say
that in regards to the shop machinery that was a mistake of mine in
saying that they had any of it or you misunderstood me and you got the
impression that the Manassas Gap and Comp Shop were one and the same. I
regard to the use of these engines Mr Sumner asked me if you and you
would inform him. I shall finish loading all that there is at this place
tomorrow which is two car loads consisting of 13 new tyres 9 pair wheels
and 14 loose wheels, I set of hooks & excentric strap two sett of
packing I have got a great deal of very valuable material at this point
since I commenced and when you come to see it all at home you will be
pleased. But I have just got orders to make up a train and take to
Danville, and close |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| |
| Danville July 18th 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| Since my last letter to you
the N C R Rd co had apointed new officers and the successor of Mr Sumner
sent me word that he had seen your letter and that every dollar of
freight money paid by me should be refunded and if I had any more
freight to haul over the road it should be hauled free, and that he
wants a mutual good feeling to exhist between the two companies. I sent
him word that I was glad that he looked at the matter in the light that
he did and hoped he would address a communication to you about the
Rolling stock so that there might be an understanding as regards the
comp property that had been on there road I have got all of the stock
away from here but five engines and 9 B & O cars loaded and hope by the
last of this week to have all of it away |
| The troops are coming along
slower than they were so that I have a better chance to get our stock
down. I watch every train and if I think there is the least possible
chance to put on a car or engine I get it on, and I expect they will
glad to get rid of me. But they seem to forget at times that they have
had the use of the company's engines and run them down |
| I have been asked by some
of the officers of the road from City Point to Burkeville if you would
pass them over the road from Washington to Wheeling as they go home I
told them I would write you. I would say that they have done a great
deal for me since I have been here I give you their names so that you
can send them passes if you think proper Mr Walter Lesford M M City
Point. Mr Alfred H Armstrong City Point. Mr D Deer, City Point and Mr
Fillas agent at Burkevill Junction & Charles Marshall |
| If you think proper to send
them they could be sent all in one envelope Directed to Mr Walter
Lessford Master Mechanic at City Point |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| On July 21, 1865, Andrew
Anderson addressed a letter to Mr. Keith at City Point: |
| The President has received
your comut. of 18th inst. |
| You will find herewith,
unsealed, letter to Mr. Lessford of this date, enclosing the tickets you
desired. |
| From the advices received
by our officers from Genl. McCallum, we feel assured that you will have
no embarrassment in getting our machinery over the road to which you
allude. If the Govt. work is in such an advanced stage as will enable
them to relinquish the control of this road, the General advises that no
difficulty will be interposed to your moving our property over it. |
| Of course you are fully
aware of the information of urging energetic action of all parties in
any way able to control the speedy movement of our property homeward.
Genl. McCallum has doubtless given instruction to insure this result. |
| |
| Here we find a letter written
by J. C. Davis to J. W. Garrett: |
| Master of Machinery's Office |
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company |
| Baltimore, July 25th, 1865 |
| |
| John W. Garrett, Esq. |
| President, Camden |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| The Engines 235, 231 & 208
received from the south a short time since will be ready for service in
about the following time viz: |
| 235 in 5 weeks, 231 in 6
weeks & 208 in 8 weeks |
| Those received Sunday night
and yesterday are in very bad condition and we could not name a date for
the completion of the repairs they need. They will cost from $4 to
$5,000 each. |
| There Original numbers were
226 now the "Gen'l Lee," the 83 now the "Raleigh" and the 199 bearing
the name "Dixie." |
| A number of Car loads of
machinery and car wheels have also arrived and some 5 or 6 tenders they
are all extremely dilapidated and bear the marks of bad usage and little
care. |
| Very Respectfully |
| J. C. Davis |
| Asst M of M |
| I telegraphed you on 16th
ult. that Engine 235 would be ready for service in from 5 to 6 seeks
from that date but since we have commenced work upon it we have
discovered many parts needing renewal which before escaped our notice
and we have consequently had to extend her time for completion. |
| J. C. D. |
| |
| |
| Danville July 27th 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| your communication of the
21st has been received, and also the letter to Mr Lessford enclosing the
passes sent for but they came up to Danvill to me and before I could
send them the South Side road was turned over to the Comp and I did not
succeed in getting them down to them |
| By the roads being turned
over it has left two of the engines and five B & O cars loaded which
will have to wait until the gauge is widened from Burkvill to Petersburg |
| I urged the comp to forward
the stock on as fast as possible. But as other companies had engines
running on this road they took them away leaving the Danvill comp short
of Power they could not get the stock down fast enough with the troops
that they had to haul before the road was turned over and the South Side
comp commenced to widen there gauge |
| I have to communicate to
you the sad inteligence that I had one white man and a black boy killed
on the 26th on the Calvin Graves as she was going down from Danville to
Burkvill. they were setting on the front of the engine and she struck a
bad joint in the track giving the engine a sudden Jar and broke the
bolts that were put through the blocking on the trucks which let the
engine down in front and it caught these men and killed them. The white
man I had employed to go down with the engine and keep he oiled. The
black boy was not employed and had no right to be there. |
| It did not injure the
engine as I had a strong blocking inside of the fire box with a center
pin down through the truck t keep the engine from sliping forward off of
the truck |
| As soon as I get to
Burkvill I shall write again and I think I shall go to Lynchburg and
send what shop machinery there is there on by rail to Alexandria as I
understand they are running through and also that at Richmond. |
| I shall report again in a
day or two The stock at Weldon I think can then be got over the
Petersburg & Weldon road to the Point of shiping |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| |
| Richmond Aug 5th 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| all of the stock that I
have found on this line has arrived at Burkville and will go to City
Point by next Tuesday as I think that the track will be widened by that
time |
| We have 6 engines and
tenders, 13 B & O cars loaded with Wheels & Machinery also 14 tyres for
driving wheels, 4 pair wheels on axles and 36 wheels without axles that
are laying on the Dock |
| Mr Crocker informs me that
he has orders to ship the remaining part of Govt stock first and as the
facilities which they have got in use now are small it will take a month
before they will be ready to ship Comps stock |
| I loaded two lathes and one
plainer yesterday into an Orange & Alexandria car But the trucks under
the car are B & O trucks I shall ship it today over the Va Central the
car is No 40 |
| Please have a man on the
look out at the Orange & Alexandria depot for a few days as I shall send
the Boiler of engine No 50 over this line on two pair of our trucks and
also some three or four other B & O cars with wheels in them I am
going up to Lynchburg and shall probably be able to send that Machinery
in a few days as I understand that road will soon be opened Has the
North Carolina Company refunded to you the freight carges that I paid
them of eighty dollars As I have got through with the heavyiest part of
the work I have let all of the hands go and only hire as I need them.
But it will require more money than I have got to pay them all off as I
had to use at home some over two hundred dollars and then paying that
freight Bill and I shall have to have three or hour hands every day to
load and move stock |
| Mr Marshall who has been a
foreman for me at Danvill will call on you in a day or two I borrowed
and Rec of him Five hundred dollars at Danvill on act Balto & Ohio R Rd
co payable with interest |
| E. H. Keith |
| P S |
| That stock on the line of
the Petersburg & Weldon and Wilmington & Weldon Rd cant be got at before
next month and then the bridge will be done by that time over the
Roanoke River |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| |
| TELEGRAM Richmond, August 7, 1865 |
| J. W. Garrett, I have
shipped over the Va Central this A. M. one (1) Orange & Alexandria Car
loaded with two (2) lathes and one (1) planer. The car has got B & O R R
trucks under it. |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| On August 10, 1865, Andrew
Anderson wrote a letter to J. C. Davis quoting that part of Keith's
letter of August 5 which had to do with the shipments. This obviously
was for Davis' information. |
| |
| Petersburg Aug 11, 1865 |
| |
| Mr Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| Since I sent the despatch
to you from Richmond stating that I had shiped over Va Central one Car
loaded with two Lathes & one plainer The body of the car belonged to the
Orange & Alexandria Comp but the trucks were Balto & Ohio trucks On the
9th I shipd one Balto & Ohio Car from Fredericksburg Depot found on
Richmond & Petersburg R Rd on the 10th I shipped two B & O Cars over Va
Central R Rd. one of these cars was loaded with four pair Car wheels. I
found two pair car trucks at Fredericksburg Shop and shall put them
under the Boiler at Va Central Depot. I have also found 12 more pair Car
Wheels at this place also 40 Car Springs also 40 car springs 4 trucks at
some draft rods & car Irons which I have loaded to day to send to City
Point The track is widened all the way from Burkvill to the Point and I
am looking for the two engines and 7 cars to come down this Eve |
| The road will be opened
from Gordonsville to Lynchburg in two or three days and I shall send
that Lathe and drill press and any other property I may find there as
soon as the Govt can ship the rest of the engines and cars from the
Point I will inform you They are only using 1 sett of Barges and one
Steam Boat carrying two engines & 14 cars at a time. But the Govt has
still some stock to ship |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H Keith |
| |
| |
| Richmond Aug 14th 1865 |
| |
| Mr Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| I have got all of the stock
that I can find & identify on this line at City Point and the barges
will load to day for the last time It or they will take Engine 33, three
B & O cars loaded with Engines & Coal Hopper springs, 4 pair Driving
wheels, 2 cylinders belonging to Engine 34, 3 pair car trucks, 12 pair
car wheels, 1 punch also Head lamp, pilot tools &co belonging to Calvin
Graves |
| I have conferred with Mr
Sandford Pres Petersburg & Weldon Rd and he tells me that the bridge
across the Roanoke River will not be done before the first of January
under these circumstances I though best to take account of all of the
stock and mark it before I came home |
| I shall then gather up the
trucks on Va Central & boiler of Engine No 50 also see that Chuck lathe
& drill press are shiped home from Lynchburg and come on to Balto |
| I rec a verbal message from
Mr Sharp saying that any information he could give me in regard to stock
belonging to the Comp he would do it and especially in regard to N C
Rail Rd co I assertained that he is at Middletown Delaware and has a
shop there He was supt of Machinery for the Confederate Govt Please have
a letter addressed to him as I have no doubt letter coming from
you would get a great deal of information |
| I sent for a letter of
credit as I want to square up with all the men. I have one that worked
for me since June that I never paid in full as he has worked in
different places collecting up wheels & trucks Please send one for two
hundred & fifty dollars if you have not already sent it I was quite sick
for four days with an attack of billious fever. Please address the
letter sane as before To Mr Ruth Supt Fredericksburg Rd |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| (With official promptness, the requested
letter of credit was sent to Keith, amount $250.00, on August 21, 1865.) |
| |
| Richmond August 16, 1865 |
| |
| Mr Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| The Weldon road is now open as
far as the Roanoke River and there are ten trucks and one car laying on
the other side also one car at Gaston. I am informed that there are some
of the Company's cars on the Tarboro Branch beyond Weldon There is a
rumor in Petersburg that the City Councilmen are going to have the
Bridge across the Apomattox River torn up soon as it obstructs the
navigation The bridge was built by the Govt and formed a connection
between Rich & Petersburg & Weldon Rds I can get the trucks over the
River at Weldon and up that line on the South Side Rd to City Point in
three days but the cars will be harder to get and more expensive and I
thought it best to inform you in regard to them and to know if I should
boat them across the River at Weldon or wait until the Bridge was done
But by waiting until that time the City Authorities of Petersburg may
take up the track that connects the two roads at Petersburg I found 7
heavy engine springs 3 pair car springs and one pair driving wheels
yesterday they will come over the Va Central more of our cars that left
here this morning |
| I am going up to Lynchburg
in the morning and shall write you from that place. Please send me a
letter of credit for two hundred and fifty dollars. Direct letters Care
Mr Ruth Supt Fredericksburg Rd Richmond |
| There is one car on the
line of Rich & Petersburg Rd in bad order and the trucks are also in bad
condition and in a bad place The company say that they will buy them if
you will sell I asked them if they would stop and pull at them with
engine but they would not. said the had no time to spare not even twenty
minutes |
| They denied having used any
of our cars until I told them that the evidence was on them as they had
put there mark on four that I found and had this car that I speak of the
same evidence they would have pulled it up for me. |
| This company charges me
fare over there road. They also had the Holden Rhodes and Powathan in
use at once time during the war and the President Mr Ellis told me he
had thought of sending a bill to you for repairs on those two engines.
He still holds the opinion that as the North recognised the South as
belgerients they had a right to the property that was captured. |
| Yours Respt |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| |
| City Point August 21st 1865 |
| |
| Mr Garrett |
| |
| Sir, |
| There are now five engines
and ten B & O cars loaded with Machinery, Shafting, wheels and material
also three car loads of car wheels tyres and car springs & car irons
that have been unloaded on the dock. Mr Crocker the man who is left in
charge of the Govt stock informs me that the authorities at Washington
do not intend to send the Steamer back after any more engines and that
Mr Moore sent him word that the rest of our engines would have to go up
on barges I would say that the Govt has stock enough here to load the
barges twice and it will take them from ten to fifteen days to make a
trip to Alexandria and back and by the time they are ready to take the
companys Engines and cars the weather will not be as good on the bay as
now so that I should Judge it will make it a little unsafe to risk them
on barges and not only that there is one of the engines here is one of
the best that was down here. I mean the Calvin Graves a Passenger
engine. I came from Lynchburg on Saturday eve I traced out a chuck Lathe
and Drill Press and made arrangements with Mr Fisher Ast Supt of Orange
& Alexandria Rd to have them shiped on as soon as the bridge is done
which will be one week from today also found six trucks on Va Central
between Gordonsvile and Richmond. I am anxious to hear from you and to
know your wish in regard to the stock on the Petersburg Rd that I wrote
to you about last week I also wrote about letter of credit I would say
that I have to have from four to six men whenever I find stock to load
it and it runs up fast even at $1.25 cts per day which is the lowest
with one or two exceptions that I have paid and those I got at a dollar.
I am anxious to get through as fast as possible but it has taken all the
patience that I am master of to get along with some of these comps for
if you get the stock ready to go and leave and go some other place to
work after they tell you they will sen it the next day and when you get
back it is still there. I am nearly worn out with the disentery caused
by drinking so many kinds of water. |
| Yours Respt |
| E H. Keith |
| (Despite Keith's anxiety to have done and
go home, as indicated in the foregoing letter, we find him still in
Virginia for another month, or longer.) |
| |
| TELEGRAM City Point, Aug. 27, 1865 |
| To: J. W. Garrett |
| Eng. 126 known as Stonewall
Jackson & Camel 204 also some wheels left last evening at five (5) P. M.
on barges towed by Steamer Baltic. |
| E. H. Keith |
| Agt. |
| |
| The next telegram indicates
that Mr. Garrett had alerted J. C. Davis to anticipate the arrival of
some rolling stock. |
| TELEGRAM Mt. Clare, Sept. 11, 1865 |
| To: J. W. Garrett |
| Your despatch from Mr.
Keith received. The engines, cars &c have not yet come to hand but
arrangements have been made for their reception. |
| J. C. Davis |
| |
| |
| TELEGRAM Richmond Sept. 20, 1865 |
| To: J. W. Garrett |
| The barges left City Point
on the 17th taking Engine 33. Cars loaded 3 pair trucks 12 pair wheels
one axle two loose & one casting. |
| E. H. Keith |
| Agt |
| Keith sent a duplicate of this
telegram to J. W. Garrett on September 22, 1865, reason unknown. |
| |
| |
| TELEGRAM Richmond, Sept. 21st,
1865 |
| To: J. W. Garrett |
| Shipped yesterday evening
at 3:30 p. m. 1 Comp Car furnished R & P loaded with Shafting bolts
Cutter 3 Cast iron pulleys &c. |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| |
| TELEGRAM Richmond, Oct. 10, 1865 |
| To: J. W. Garrett |
| Shipped this morning at
5:30 over Virginia Central & Orange & Alexandria two box flats loaded
with Boiler of Engine 50 also two trucks. |
| E. H. Keith |
| |
| The foregoing telegram is the
last of Keith's reports from the South that we have been able to locate.
Obviously the list is not complete, but what we have found gives a
general idea of the magnitude of the job undertaken by Edward Keith. |
| Leaving no stone unturned,
however, Keith thought that additional lost items might be found if he
could contact Thomas R. Sharp, the Confederate officer who, under
Jackson, in 1861, had engineered the unbelievable feat of moving so much
B & O property to the South under what must have been almost
insurmountable conditions. |
| At the War's end, Sharp had
moved to Middletown, Delaware, where he had established the Peninsular
Machine Works with a partner named I. T. Budd. Keith visited Sharp at
Middletown, after which he made the following report. This report is not
in Keith's handwriting and was probably dictated to, or copied by,
someone in the president's office. |
| |
| Information gained from Thomas Sharp of
the firm of Budd & Sharp, Middletown, Del. |
| I had four miles of iron
laid between Manassas & Centerville the iron belonging to Balto & Ohio
Rail Road co. |
| The large wheel press taken
from Martinsburg was left at Newton. Copying press was left at Raleigh,
N. C., at quarter masters dept., Maj. W. W. Pierce. |
| The safe was left at
Charlotte, N. C. Sent some machinery to Saulsbury, N. C. Unloaded a lot
of machinery at Millbroke, 6 miles lout of Raleigh on the Ra & Gaston R
Rd. Also unloaded a lot 1 mile out on same Rd. |
| Mr. Brown was Chief of
Ordinance for Confedt. Govt. I delivered the boiler taken from shop at
Martinsburg to him. I took 90 tons of Iron from Duffields and it was
handed over to Mr. Anderson of Tredagar Works, Richmond, and it was
rolled into plates for gun boats. |
| There is some five or six
smoke stacks on different engines on Charlotte & Columbia & N. C. Rd. |
| J. E. Duke at Charlestown
on Winchester Rd was one of my clerks and knows where a good deal of
that stock was left. |
| This information gained Nov. 9th |
| By E. H. Keith |
| |
| The foregoing is written in
black ink on lined, blue paper, without a heading of any kind. It is in
Keith's handwriting, but more carefully written than was the case with
his reports from the South. The signature is definitely his. |
| Upon receipt of this report,
President Garrett lost no time in having his secretary, Andrew Anderson,
write to Thomas Sharp: |
| Baltimore, November 11, 1865 |
| |
| Mr. Thomas Sharp |
| (c/o Budd & Sharp) |
| Middletown, Del. |
| |
| Sir, |
| I write you by direction of
President Garrett, to request that you will please advise us, so far as
you know, of the present location of the property belonging to this
Company, taken from Martinsburg and vicinity during the early stages of
the war. |
| We have recovered nearly
all of our Engines, but have not yet been able to trace the majority of
our cars, shop machinery, etc. |
| We have understood that you
were the Agent employed to pack and forward to Richmond and other
interior towns South, the greater portion of this property, and trust
you will not hesitate to communicate to us all the information you
possess on the subject. |
| Mr. Keith, representing
this Company, called on you on the 9th. inst. and advises that for the
want of documents relating to that period, you are unable to give the
information satisfactorily. |
| Will you please tell us
where these are to be found? We shall take pleasure in having them
forwarded either to this point, or to your address, as you may prefer. |
| Very resp'y yours, |
| Andrew Anderson |
| |
| |
| Office of Peninsular Machine Works |
| Budd & Sharp Proprietors |
| Middletown, Del., Nov. 18th, 1865 |
| |
| Mr. J. W. Garrett |
| Prest. B & O R R Co. |
| |
| Sir, |
| I am in receipt of yours of
the 11th inst. asking for information as to the whereabouts of the
machinery removed from your Martinsburg Shops. It will afford me
pleasure to serve you in any way in my power and to that end I have
directed a chest of papers containing some information in this respect
to be sent to me at this place. On their arrival I will at once forward
to you all relating to the removal of your property. |
| I informed Mr. Keith that a
large quantity of your shop machinery was left by the Confederate Govt.
at Salisbury, N. C. and probably destroyed by Genl. Stoneman in his raid
on that place on the 12th of April. Some cars were used on the tracks
from Staunton, Lynchburg, Strasburg, (two names that are undecipherable)
and Charlotte, N. C. |
| I am very respectfully yours, |
| Tho. R. Sharp |
| |
| The outcome of this exchange
of correspondence is unknown, no further records having been found. But
it is assumed that, because of hints from Sharp, Keith continued to
search out B & O property on into the year 1866, as verified by this
letter and report submitted to President Garrett by J. C. Davis in April
1866: |
| Master of Machinery's Office |
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company |
| Baltimore, April 23d, 1866 |
| |
| John Garrett Esq. |
| President |
| |
| Dear Sir, |
| In reply to your of the
19th inst. I enclose a full statement of all of the material collected
at Winchester in connection with the expenses. Mr. Keith, who is south
collecting company's property will be here in a few days when I will
request him to call upon your. Mr. John R. Smith, Supervisor of
Machinery, goes west this A. M. to make enquiry relative to the material
removed and to be removed by A. C. Johnson, Engineer, Manassas Gap
Railroad Co., as well as that now laying at Winchester to which
reference is made in the note at the bottom of the accompanying
statement. |
| Yours respectfully |
| J. C. Davis |
| M of M |
| |
| Statement of Materials recovered in the
vicinity of Staunton and Winchester that was seized during the war,
together with the expense incident thereto: |
| |
Materials |
|
| |
|
|
Lot of engine bolts |
|
| |
1 |
|
Brake shaft |
|
| |
1 |
|
Car spring |
|
| |
1 |
|
Wheel press head |
|
| |
5 |
|
Iron castings |
|
| |
655 |
|
bars of Railroad iron |
|
| |
1 |
|
Iron House Car in parts |
|
| |
1 |
|
piece of smoke stack |
|
| |
1 |
|
Ash pan |
|
| |
1 |
|
(Pumping Water) Stationary Engine |
|
| |
3 |
|
pairs of engine truck wheels |
|
| |
2 |
|
Cast iron posts |
|
| |
12 |
|
tires |
|
| |
28 |
|
loose car wheels |
|
| |
1 |
|
pair driving wheels |
|
| |
27 |
|
pairs of Car wheels |
|
| |
2 |
|
tons spikes, chairs and joint ties |
|
| |
1 |
|
balance wheel and shaft |
|
| |
3 |
|
Castings |
|
| |
1 |
|
Engine truck |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Expenses |
|
| |
For services of men in Dec 65 and Jan.
1866 Assisting teamsters and in loading materials in cars
for transportation to Baltimore as per vouchers on roll |
111.00 |
| Jan. 27, 1866 |
For use of one four horse team furnished
by J. P. Dolliffer, as per voucher |
7.50 |
| Nov. 16, 1865 |
For hauling lumber from Martinsburg to
Darkville for bridge, by I. B. Meade |
2.50 |
| "
17, " |
For hauling by The. I. Vaumeter |
40.00 |
| Jan. 23, 1866 |
To I. L. Thomas for hauling two days with
two four horse teams at $15 per day for each team |
60.00 |
| " |
To John M. Miller for use of 103 four
horse teams from Dec. 1st '65 to Jan. 25th. 1866 |
1545.00 |
| |
To I. C. Pritchard for use of 84 four
horse teams from Nov. 24th. '65 to Jan. 27th. '66 at $15
each |
1260.00 |
| |
For services of Edw'd Keith in searching
and preparing for transportation of materials as stated
above, commencing 8th. Nov. '65 and ending July 3rd. 1866.
(Both days inclusive) 88 days at $3.75 per day |
330.00 |
| |
For traveling and board expenses |
228.50 |
| |
For services of men in getting wheels out
of pits at Woodstock |
6.00 |
| |
|
3590.50 |
|
| Note: 6 driving tires, 1
pair driving wheels, 2 pair engine truck wheels, 2 pairs car wheels, 5
loose wheels, 1 balance wheel and shaft, 3 castings, 2 tons spikes,
chairs and joint ties, 2 frog castings and 2 bars railroad iron remained
at Winchester when Mr. Keith left there. |
| (It will be noted, in the
foregoing report, that J. C. Davis had allowed for Edward Keith's salary
up to and including July 3rd, 1866.) |
| |
| After reading these
fragmentary reports, one may realize what a tremendous task was
performed by Thomas R. Sharp and his Confederate helpers, in 1861, when
they practically dismantled a portion of the B. & O. R. R. and moved it
south. If Keith was bedeviled by differences in gauges, destroyed
railroad bridges, uncooperative railroad officials, and the like, Sharp
had a different problem. He hauled it all over the highway either from
Martinsburg or Winchester to Staunton or Strasburg. Which gave J. W.
Garrett a very high opinion of his capabilities. He sent for Sharp and
offered him a position on the B. & O. Sharp accepted, and on April 1,
1873 he was appointed Master of Transportation and served in that
capacity until October 1, 1877. |
| In the Annual Report of
September 30, 1867, J. C. Davis made the following statement: Of the
fourteen engines and tenders taken by the enemy and transported South in
1861, twelve engines and the boiler of the thirteenth, with eleven
tenders and two tanks were recovered in very bad condition. The 14th
engine, with the machinery of another (No. 50), one tender and parts of
two others were entirely lost to the Company. |
| No mention was made of the
number of cars, machinery or other property recovered. But Keith had
performed a magnificent job, undoubtedly. |
| And what ultimately became of
Keith? Who knows? Did he finally return to a humdrum job in Baltimore?
In any event, he must have taken great pleasure in telling his
grandchildren all about those hectic days he spent south of the Potomac. |
| |
|
Appendix |
| |
| Locomotives taken south from
Martinsburg were: |
| No. 126 |
|
Built by R. Norris & Son, Philadelphia, Pa. in
Jan. 1853. 4-4-0, 14" x 24" cylinders. 60" driving wheels. No
other data available. |
| No. 188 |
|
Built by B&O RR at Mt. Clare, Baltimore, Md., in
Nov. 1858. 4-4-0, 16" x 22" cylinders. 60" driving wheels. No
other data available. |
| No. 199 |
|
Built by A. & W. Denmeade & Sons, Baltimore, in
Nov. 1853. 4-6-0 "Hayes 10-wheel Camel," 19" x 20" cylinders,
50" driving wheels. No other data available. |
| No. 204 |
|
Built by A. & W. Denmeade & Sons, Baltimore, in
Mar. 1854. 4-6-0 "Hayes 10-wheel Camel," 19" x 20" cylinders,
50" driving wheels. No other data available. |
| No. 208 |
|
Built by Murray & Hazelhurst, Baltimore, in Nov.
1854. 4-4-0 "Dutch Wagon," inside-connected. 15" x 20"
cylinders, 60" driving wheels. No other data available. |
| No. 226 |
|
Built by A. & W. Denmeade & Sons, Baltimore, in
Sept. 1857. 4-6-0 "Tyson 10-wheller," 15" x 24" cylinders, 50"
driving wheels. No other data available. |
| No. 231 |
|
Built by Wm. Mason & Co., Taunton, Mass., in
Aug. 1857. 4-4-0, 16" x 22" cylinders, 60" driving wheels. No
other data available. |
| No. 235 |
|
Built by Wm. Mason & Co., Taunton, Mass., in
Aug. 1857. 4-4-0, 16" x 22" cylinders, 60" driving wheels. No
other data available. |
|
The foregoing locomotives were
taken from Martinsburg over the highway to either Strasburg, to
the Manassas Gap Ry., or to Staunton, to the Virginia Central
Ry., over which roads were hauled to Richmond, Va., for complete
overhaul. |
| |
|
|
|
This locomotive was taken from
Harpers Ferry to Winchester, thence over the highway to
Strasburg, Va., to the Manassas Gap Ry. |
| No. 50 |
|
"The Wisconisco," built by Baldwin,
Philadelphia, in Dec., 1847. 0-6-0, 13 1/2" x 18" cylinders, 60"
driving wheels. No other data available. |
| |
|
|
| These locomotives were
seized at Duffields. They wee taken over the highway to Halltown,
Va., thence over the Winchester & Potomac Ry. to Winchester, Va.
From there they were taken over the highway to Strasburg, Va.,
to the Manassas Gap Ry., and were hauled to Richmond, Va. for
complete overhaul. |
| No. 33 |
|
Originally Muddigger "Hercules," built by Winans
in Baltimore, Oct. 1844. 0-8-0, 17" x 24" cylinders, 33" driving
wheels. Rebuilt by B&ORR at Mt. Clare in 1853 as a "Company's
8-Wheel Connected." 0-8-0, 19" x 22" cylinders, 43" driving
wheels, weight 57,400 lbs. No other data available. |
| No. 34 |
|
Originally Muddigger "Gladiator," built by
Winans in Baltimore, Nov. 1844. 0-8-0, 17" x 24" cylinders, 33"
driving wheels. Rebuilt by B&ORR at Mt. Clare in 1853 as a
"Company's 8-Wheel Connected." 0-8-0, 19" x 22" cylinders, 43"
driving wheels, weight 57,400 lbs. No other data available. |
| No. 76 |
|
"Company's 8-Wheel Connected," built by the
B&ORR at Mt. Clare in Sept. 1851. 0-8-0, 19" x 22" cylinders,
43" driving wheels, weight 57,400 lbs. No other data available. |
| No. 83 |
|
"Company's 8-Wheel Connected," built by the
B&ORR at Mt. Clare in Oct. 1851. 0-8-0, 20" x 22" cylinders, 43"
driving wheels. No other data available. |
| No. 225 |
|
Built by A. & W. Denmead & Sons, Baltimore, in
Aug. 1857. 4-6-0 "Tyson 10-wheeler," 18" x 24" cylinders, 50"
driving wheels. No other data available. |
| |
|
|
|
The locomotives below were stripped
of rods, piping, cab fittings, bells, whistles, etc. Then all
woodwork, such as cabs, running boards, pilots, tender frames,
etc., was burned off. |
|
{This is the
end of the copy at the Smithsonian. An additional 40 locomotives
remained to be listed and described.} |
|