New-York daily tribune., 1865-12-18
r.. no,r,ao, s,S C,ncjnnstL Between tee se"
.1s.d stb Ju,. wtitn 40 d"ys during y Gi WIZ"
no tr ops arrived at Parker burg RON ""''"e
tbsrp we're mo, ea tiu'G tbet plsco W- xey ho,.oe

p'oyed nm "v a cnmp, n elton If sl75 per da, each.
Esob boat CONSUMED on an average ZVo ousnes VI coa
pei dsy. of rho hos,s was l GO, days cost.
,o for cha ter sp 15 and consuming 80 200 bushels
ofbuminous cpai t4o.Up
Total o,st Of transportation from PaTkersburg by
water 10 various Is The Ohio nnd to 81 Louis OF
90 796 men oid 9-'6 s"ses esS4 .2D5
The same movemo 4, II performed by railroad at the
reduced rates at led 20 railroads serve the Govern
ment HOnld D We oost t7tostA-
Thus SO 90 and 1900 horses were. in the short
space oi ~ dals IN we'd hoiU Washinpo on, on tie PO'
tomsc across the Agbai les and descending the Ono
and ascending the Mis ssppI were placed IA the seS
eral pooiuors 10 WI ich the, hid Ne en- ordered
During th, So sau ~ d,ys 2Sl 100 men all were
moved by railroad IRON WHsliu.tn. soOOO o them 70
the posts aboye nsnieI; the others were ONtrbned "
every ham el and village of be states MOI III OF the 10
toMac and OHIO rivers and restored TO their homes the
labor OF war over oitu ,o the u'sults OF Peaeeiu
industry which ih had lett ut tue call OF tne country
IN her hour ut ne.
In ali thrse nts there hsvc few accidents
and economy of he service not loss potceaole aD
its speed.
Had the armies marched to their several places OF
destination th Y If the the subsistence of men
and animals. the maintenance Of the Imntnse trains
which world hove co mpahied them. onsdeilng tie
time which The uairh wou.d have consumed, would
have fr exceeded the cost Oi tins rapid movement by
rail and nyer. 80
1t is uunerstood that since the close Of the war. &c.,
OOU men have been ssie, brsht back from the reoei-
Hous districts, nourted 10y this Department to the
several canus i d',cta' ge er,aoisled N e'e{ "y'
men came from and thr Cuff ooast-Others from
tie territories Il All the iatesy be.hous St"tes.
Such r.ovement Is unexauped Ii illustrates the
u toe county Tor The operations OF wrr ana
the great possesses in its system OF navi'
gable rivers ynd its 40 II o mres # railroads
MILITARY RAlLR0ArS.
In the Winter Ui IeuJ when tse Rebel armies were
driven bacS from Chatan'Og The immcoiste repair
snd almost total Of the track O the iai
way from NsstSIle ~ Chat anooga became an inpera
tive necessity. .
The positions keu up bv the troops along the line Of
the Tennessrc Ive,. the Wirer required .or 'te-
supply that the iRiroads fr'm Nashville To Decatur
anu ON Decatur TO beyond Kuoxyile. shond also be
rppared and equipped Biilgcs we're rebuilt; new
snd heavier ircn laid down ulon the road from
Nashville IL Oh ttAnagS; locomotives NJ dcsrsln great
numbers We mahuf tured ut tie North. aid trans
ported tO the sceGe OF active operations.
AS tie Lousyiae and Nashville rsilroad proved in
sufficient fI ~ hravy tr fic thrown upon H. and vas
sometimes cnt b, guer i.los the Nashville and North.
Western railroad tium n sville to JobnsoBvile. On
the Tenn ssee River. WAS rep ired con eied, sud
opened g. trtde Tins af 'rdci new avenue hy vbioh
the products the N,rib West were Transported ~ tie
Sc Of op IGtns It Nashvil the Tennessee River be
ing nsvigabie for fghtuIaft bOats from the Ohio To
JOhnsonyille
Seventeen hundred nd six,y.nne miles Of military
railways we're at onet me r'peiied mainianed stocked
and operated 10y the agents OF iis department., under
the energetic sup~rv,i of Brevet Brig. Gen ID. C.
NcCalUm, Geurral M anaEer OF Military Raiiye.s OF
the United - 'tes
In the repr G, So many miles Of railway great qnsn
titles oi ran. burned aud twisted by the c. intending
which they we're obliged TO abandon, came into our
possession.
10 uakc tbis iron scrvcesbIe in the repair Of the
railroads toward Tia t. to the Gu. should toe
saiDe stubborn iesiS ence b. offered beyond Atanias as
was met with the advance 10 Tat place. directed
the completion oil an unfinished rong'nl captured al
Chattanooga.
For local Military reasons. Major Gen. Tbomas re.
CURED that the m. snuuh ne constructed within the
intrepchment of tie ey ~ Chattanooga instead OF
the foundations o. TIE MILL two miles from tbst
town. rolling NIL cepabe ~ Ier'lling 80 tuns OF
railroad iron ref Gy was constructed 6nd put IN opera
ton. II utind large quantity OF iron taken rom
the lines of railroads aud OfmDortsnt and
in restoring tie railroad conmuuication between Chat
tsncora and Atn".. br,lsn mp ~ order Of Gen Sa.r
oity and forth his adventurous uarh to the sea
The termination ,f he war having relieved the War
Department fthe duty of irrars and reconsyucon OF
railroads this r"iDe mill wa. advertised and sold ut n
satisfactory price II will he Of great advantage IN the
South Westein 'aoas on oil of which the iron Is much
by constant use during the war with little means
Of renewal -
Most Of their iron viii require rerohng and this mill
Is row in full ,p ration upon the work
Gen. McCaliun rep'rts l. 769 miles OF railroad es
operated during the fsc Il year. with sn equipment o
365 engines "nd 42C3 ars either in use or in reserve
and cxpend ure uf sl2 0oooo. lis report ia among
the papers submitted herewith
The force empoyed in the repair, construction. ami
operation Of the military re lsays has been very large
table herewith she" the strength At several diferen
peli0ds. L. Arril 1866. the number employed in thi
branch OF the service was ~ 52t
TRANSFER OF MILITARY RAILROADS.
As soon ~ the surrender of the Rebel armies and
the cessation Of host iiies made 1t possible efforts wer
uadc 70 induce the riroad cOmpon Of the rebellion
Territories ~ reorg ,nss by the eec on Of loyal dreC
ton and maraecr-. and to resume tie CHARGE of III
hines which had fallen into tie hai Dis OF this Depart
nen and been repaied and used for the supply OF ou
AT this date nearly ell the roads have been tran,
ferred either to tie presidents aud directors or &
boards # public works the St't es In which they ar
situated In III Aututc States the policy pursued
has been deliver up the roads in whatever corditIo
they left BY the fortune Of war at the moment
transfer.
Questions OF ownership, claims 10 material Of tn
road tracks Transferred either by Rebel or by Unite
States authority from road to another are LETT 10
decision OF the courts The United States merely 70
tires leaving tie lawful owners 10 resume their prop
erty Such material had been collected for repair %
construction and not used and such was in depot ba
been sold IN The companies 1T flir valuation, anc
upon credit Of greater or less extent as circumstances
seemed to reqoire. .
Tae department does propose TO charge the rail
roads for expenditures repair or for materials &c
tuay used o. the roads. nor does 1t propose to aoS
sny charge against for the use snd profits Of the road
while occupied "a military routes nor for damages
done BY it, troops agents under the pressure Of mill
taTy operations.
A railroad 10 an engine OF war more powerful than a
battery Of artillery suhlect to capture and use aud
there h 1t would see. little reason for paying dam
ages rent for ts occupation and use as there would
te for captured battery.
The rolling stock and movable machinery have been
hired ~ the rsrueds desiring their USE until arrange
ents could DO usde for sac Most OF that collected
In the Atlantic States hos ths date been disposed OF
at public auction either for cash or IN payment VI debts
br transportation due by the department. to railroads.
In the South West the rolling stock belonging 10 the
United States. zone 20 ines and 1000 cars. was stl
Of the wide gauge fitted for tho Southern roads 1t
could not be used without expensive alterations upon
the Northern railroads. md tese could not be expected
therefore. 10 purchase II at proes approachong It's
value.
The railroads ard the territory Of the South West
too much Impoverished by the events Of the
successful rebellion N be sbe TO purchase for cash the
rvIlinR stock aud machinery which had cOst this de-
partuent several millions Of dollars.
The reconstructiOn OF tho South Western railroads
and their operation were of the greatest importance