The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-18
RAILWAYS AND WARFARE.

united states Niiitnry Raiiroads-Rrpor Of
brcvet Brigadier General -. q. McCniium,
director aud General Manager from 4 STA
to 1860.
IN February, 1862 when General Mccaum ap-
pointed ny general Of The War Department Military
pector ana superintendent OF Railroads In tho United
Saics win authority 70 upon, take possession Of
hold and use All railroads engines cara locomotives
equipments appendages aud that may be
required Tor the transport OF troops arms ammunition
and military supplies, there Just seven miles OF
railroad, from Washington Alexandria In tho uoSses-
sion OF tho United States government, Bsfor. Gen.
eral Mccaum closed hts labos he had ae,ed over TWO
thousand miles Of track. employed a, one time twenty.
Ave thousand men, built wcn,y-six miles OF tempornry
or permanent bridges laid aud reaid ak hundred ana
foyone miles OF track, and dlsburscd moro ,han forv
two millions OF dollars On Gen. McCaruns sssump.
ton Of hts duties, Mr.. Stanton with that Imperative
which rendered him efficient war secretary IN
times. gave him verbally this Sapolconc order
~ shall expect you TO have hand at all times tho
necessary mon and materials TO enable you TO comply
promptly with any order givennor must there 10 any
fAilnrcn
To comply with these exsciing requirements General
McCaum organized q transportation corps % control
the movements OF trains and maintain tho rolling
stock and construction corps TO lay, tear up,
pair railroad tracks, build bridges and burn them
u necessary. In tho Department OF tho Mis-
sissIpp his construction corps, Ave thousand
strong. organized into sx divisions each
= distinct body itself. provided with all neccs-
sary tools camp cqupago and field transportation and
ready to anywhere emergency; his transpor,a.
ton corps numbered twelve thousand men. Some OF thu
achievements of General McCaliuns department do
70 rank with the most remarkable. engineering
feas Of modern timos The wonderful bridge tho
Chaahoochoc, hundred and eighty feet long and
ninety-two feet high, built by the construction
corps In four and half days. the bridge over the Poto
Greek, at Aqua, four hundred and fourteen feet
long and cshty-wo feet high, was butt ready for trains
TO pass In forty working hours. In their leisure time
this corps rebuilt tho Chattanooga rolling mills which
turned out In fcw months nearly four thousand tons Of
railroad for tho government, and sold at tho
end OF tho for a hundred and seventy nve thou
sand dollars with Justiasblc pride General Mecalum
classes the attempt to supply shermans army OF hun
dred thousand mon and sixty thousand horses and
mules from a base three hundred and sixty miles
ant one limo OF single track. Of tho bold.
est ideas Of tho war. whole corps, and armies,
frequently transported hundred Of niles the
nero verbal orders OF their commanders In 1855 the
Foirth army corps transported from East Tsnnes
see TO Nash VILE dis, OF three hundred tHty
miles, without DELAY or dnicu,y-ths herculcan task
requiring nearly fifteen hunired cars.
Nor were the services thus rendered unattended hb
danger Gueras and raidng parties logged tho foot.
steps Of tho Construction corps wherever they went.
In tho nrst sig months Of 1885 wrrcklng
train picked up and brought into Nashville
sixteen wrecked locomotives and nearly three hun.
drcd carloads OF wheels and bridge iron, tho
destructive handiwork o. rebel raiders Hood a
thorn In McCallum's side; but tho damage he di
repaired with wonderful CELEBRITY. In October, 1894.
Hood passing round shermans army. tori up thirty I've
miles OF track aud burned four hundred and my feet Of
bridges between Chattanooga and Atlanta Tho damage
made good and the line put w6Eking order again
In thirteen days Between Tunnel Hill and Rcsaca
twenty-five miles OF track aud two hundred and thirty
feet OF bridging reconstructed in days aud
half
General MccaIlums report contains many Other facts
Of equal Interest with the foregoing Put into
attractive and connected shape would form impor-
contribution 10 the history OF the great rebellion.
Were General MoCsiium Engiishman he would 10
msdc q baronct, Sir Morton Pcto for similar
vices Were he Frsncbman, the ribbon Of the Legion
OF Honor would unquestonAbly decorate bis breast As
a citizen Of the great republic be rests conien, with
brcyst brgafisr genersiship.