| From the Augusta Constitutionalist |
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| July 21, 1864 |
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| Montgomery & West Point Railroad |
| This road runs from the
capital of Alabama to the small and insignificant town of West Point,
on the western border of Georgia, a distance of forty-eight or fifty
miles. West Point lies on both sides of the Chattahoochee, and
although there is barely enough of it to make a division, yet part of
it is in Alabama and part in Georgia. The railroad to Montgomery was
constructed thirty-five years ago, but it was of no commercial or
military importance until after the Memphis & Charleston was cut
and seized by the enemy, which forced all traffic and travel between
the eastern and western geographical divisions of the Confederacy over
that line. |
| The track is four inches more
narrow than all the other roads in the South, and consequently the
company can use only its own cars -- everything and everybody being
obliged to change cars either at Montgomery or West Point as they case
may be. |
| The raid of the enemy upon it
will, if successful in destroying the rolling stock, be very
disastrous to us indeed. That raid, we think, was for the purpose of
destroying the road in order to intercept the long expected
reinforcements from the trans-Mississippi for Gen. Hood's army. |
| Sherman cannot afford to send
off such a formidable expedition as would be necessary to release the
Yankee prisoners in Georgia. He has a frail tenure upon Georgia. Like
a ball suspended by a ??? would precipitate the whole into ruin.
Obliged, therefore, to hold his cavalry well in hand in order to
protect the lines of communication, he can only order them out on
short raids, with instructions to hurry back to the base of operations
as speedily as possible. |
| The Chattahoochee at West
Point is the size of the Ocmuigee at Macon. A railroad and a foot
bridge crosses it, which we presume are strongly guarded. Until we
hear the extent of the raid, no speculations as to when the trains
will again pass over the road would be intelligent. |
| Macon Confederate |
|