SC's Railroads during the Civil War

 

1862 map

“It passes my comprehension to tell what became of our railroads, one week we had assably good roads, on which we could reach almost any part of the State, and the next week they were all gone, - not simply broken up, but gone; some of the material was burned, I know, but miles and miles of iron have actually disappeared, gone out of existence.”

As told to Northern journalist Sidney Andrews in September, 1865

It has now been more than 140 years since William T. Sherman and his 60,000 man army burned their way through South Carolina and by doing so earn the everlasting hatred of every South Carolinian alive at the time and of their descendants (some 7 generations worth). No, there is no way that I will go into this can of festering worms here. However, as a historical event, Sherman's March through South Carolina and the resulting destruction of the state's railroads is an interesting subject.

Some six months after the state was “Shermanized,” northern journalist Sidney Andrews toured the former Confederacy to report on the political, economic, and social conditions in the aftermath of the South's defeat. Andrews' articles (more than 40) in the Boston Advertiser and the Chicago Tribune were so popular that in 1866 Andrews published them as a book, The South since the War: As Shown by Fourteen Weeks of Travel and Observation in Georgia and the Carolinas. Excerpts from this book of Andrews travels on South Carolina's railroads (link) offers a grime picture of a war ravaged state. Andrews' complete book is available on-line here.

map of Sherman's March

 

For everything you wanted to know (but were afraid to ask) about Sherman's March through South Carolina go here. You can also sit back and watch this online video documentary on Sherman's march.

 

To offer some balance to the Northern view are the observations of southern diaiest May Chesnut while traveling to her home near Camden during May 1965. An on-line version of her diary is available here.

For an excellent web site about Southern Railroads during the “War” visit David L. Bright's Confederate Railroads.

Potter's Raid

By March, Sherman and his crew had left SC and were raising havoc in NC. Having learn of several trains loaded with military supplies south of his line of march through SC and wanting to insure that the contents of the rail cars would never find their way to the ragtail Confederate armies opposing him in NC, Sherman orders troops along the SC coast to wreck more destruction in the palmetto state.

“The enemy still has much railroad stock and munitions on the track about Sumterville and Florence, . . . I want you to reach that road and destroy everything possible and exhaust the country of supplies.”

General W. T. Sherman, Fayetteville, NC, March 12, 1865.

Raid results as reported by a Northern solider.

“. . . on our return to Georgetown, fifteen locomotives, and one hundred and forty cars loaded with ammunition, small arms and stores. We destroyed them all. We captured five hundred contrabands, five hundred prisoners, destroyed a vast deal of property, and captured about eighty head of horses. ”

W N. Collins, Orderly Sergeant, Company H, 54th Massachusetts Infantry, Georgetown, South Carolina, April 30, 1865.

Links to Potter's Raid

Sergeant W N. Collins
account of Potter's Raid

Potter's Raid

I gladly welcome any corrections, photos, data, history, contributions and comments pertaining to SC's railroad history. You can get in touch with me by e-mail.