TIP #291 - RIDING THE RAILS INTO WAR I'll admit it. I am a railroad fanatic! My interests lie in the day of the steam engines and over the years I've spent many hours with my HO-gauge models. There is nothing more romantic to me that to see the puffing smoke or hear the distinctive sounds that only a steam engine could make. The younger generations are so used to the speed and sleekness of the modern train - what they are missing! The railroad in Kentucky and other states did so much to mold our country, but is often overlooked in historical references. When we look at the census records or read the old correspondence and find that one of our ancestors worked for the railroad, it should evoke a sense of pride in us! During the Civil War times, the railroad was used not only to transport soldiers and supplies to the troops. It was literally the beginning of fighting vehicles! Those riding the rails were exposed to great dangers during the Civil War as it was a favorite target of the military forces. The opposing armies knew that if they could stop the train, they would eliminate ammunition, enemy troops and cripple them. And, the trains could get into nose-to-nose combat also. Railroad engineers were often used to reconnoiter the enemy areas. Surprisingly, the locomotives could reach speeds nearing 60 m.p.h.! It was relatively a simple process for the locomotive to reverse course and outrun the enemies. Their birds-eye view of the territory through which they passed was relayed to their side without worrying about any telegraph messages being intercepted or when the enemy troops had cut the line entirely. However, the railroad personnel were at great risk of their own lives. It was a simple matter for the opposing troops to cause derailments; scouts often laid in wait in the timbers along the railroad track and took careful aim at the personnel on board. Explosions of the boiler were exceedingly possible with one good shot. Scalding steam from a ruptured boiler claimed the lives of the men aboard unless they were fortunate enough to jump from the train - either being killed in the fall or taken prisoner by the enemy. If your ancestor served on a railroad during the Civil War times and saw combat, he was indeed one of the bravest of the brave and to be commended as the foot soldiers. Locomotives, due to their sheer size and weight could also be employed as battering rams. They could be opened up full throttle and aimed right down the track at opposition trains. Often the locomotive was allowed to crash into enemy supplies and personnel working along the track, causing an explosion on impact and burning the bridge that their foes needed. Trains were sometimes used as decoys also according to some sources; a totally empty train was set to proceed down the track confusing the foe into thinking that the "bad guys" had given up and had deserted the area. In fact, the soldiers who had been on board were hidden in countryside out of site waiting for a relaxation on the part of the misled soldiers. Trains could also transport more heavy artillery than the wagons could. When carried on a flatcar, heavy and awkward guns could be transported faster and easier. With a little American ingenuity, shields were placed on the flatcars to protect the contents. When a railroad did not have this extra protection, the men and contents were at great risk. There was a constant re-building going on during the war. Tracks were blown up, tracks were repaired. Bridges were burned; bridges were re-built. Special railroad personnel were always walking the tracks at great danger to themselves as they rapidly tried to reconnect the life-line of their soldier boys. The soldiers who rode the trains to get to the field of battle were at great peril with little protection. Sometimes only sand bags stood between they and the snipers as the train inched onward to their camp. Later Rifle Cars were added to the trains which were shielded inside and holes were cut allowing the soldiers inside visibility outside and a shooting portal. With the addition of rifle cars, the train was normally arranged with the locomotive at the front with a "monitor" to watch out, several other cars and a monitor at the end of the train as well. Control cars (flat cars) were also used on the tracks to inspect for damages and to disarm any torpedoes. The next time you are reading the old records and see "railroad" as an occupation, think of the railroadin' men of the Civil War! (c) May 11, 2000, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved. sgorin@glasgow-ky.com Col. Sandi Gorin, 205 Clements,Glasgow, KY 42141 (270) 651-9114 - E-fax (707)222-1210 - e-mail: sgorin@glasgow-ky.com Member: Glasgow-Barren Co Chamber of Commerce Publishing: http://members.delphi.com/gorin1/index.html Barren Co: http://www.rootsweb.com/~kybarren/ TIPS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Tips KYBIOS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Bios ARCHIVES: http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl