Sunday morning globe., 1901-10-20


leaders In the Civil War was that of railroad
transportation The territory controlled by
them at the beginning of the struggle
roughly speaking that lying south OF the
potomac--was threaded by numerous rail-
roads. the equipment of which was fully
equal to thc requirements of peace traffic.
But when war came and there were masses
of men, horses, food, ordnance and ammu.
milton to be moved, the lack of sufficient
roliug-stock became at once apparent
The Southern railroads had few shops. 1t
is true but their combined facilities were
not equal TO the manufacture of half the
rolling-stock needed Where were the
much-needcd locomotives, cars and ma
chinery to come from2 European markets
were out of the question and Northern
shops equauyso, for obvious reasons, even
supposing that the requisite funds had been
forthcoming Invention. lashcd by stern
necessity, soon found a way out Of the di-
lemma, at once simple, bold and effective
though not unattended with difficulty and
danger
The plan based on the axiom that "all is
fair iu love and war. was nothing was more
or less than that of seizing the rouing.stock
of a Northern road and appropriating Il TO
use on the Southern lines, which included
the Raleigh and Castor, from Raleigh ~
c., to near Petersburg. Va; the North Caro-
lima Central from Raleigh to Charlotte, ~
c., and the Virginia Central, from Gordons-
vile Va, TO Richmond
The successful carrying out Of this scheme
forms a unique and exciting chapter, which
has been but little touched upon by war
historians. It is the purpose Of the present
article to describe this remarkable. move
ment, OF rather series of movements for
the accomplishment of the plan covered
nearly two years., and it is believed the re-
cital will prove highly interesting news to
the readers of this generation
In June 1861 the Confederate forces un-
der Gen, Joseph f. Johnston occupied
Harper's Ferry, controlling the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad from Point of Rocks,
few miles south of Harper's Ferry, to a
considerable distance west of Martinsburg.
The Union forces, under General Patterson,
were between the Potomac and the Penn
sylvania line. Smiling fortune could hardly
have fashioned a situation more favorable
TO the plans of the Confederates, covetous
of Northern locomotives, for right between
the hostile lines, and yet generally within
the grasp of the Southern forces, ran the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, a prosperous
trunk line of standard gauge, extending
from Baltimore TO ST. Louis and completely
equipped with hrst-class rolling-stock,
while at Martinsburg, only thirty.eight
miles from the nearest Southern railroad,
and but eighteen miles from Winchester,
which the Conlederates at that time held
without dispute, was the terminus of one of
the divisions of this trunk line, with shops
and rouudhouse, point Of assembly and
distribution for cars aud engines.
Getting possession of this coveted mater.
ial was but matter of protecting skilled
workmen while they vanquished mechan.
ical difficulties That these difficulties were
by no means small will be seen from the
statement that the sole means of transport.
ing the prizes from Martiusburg, the point
whence most Of them were taken, to Stras-
burg Va, where they could be placed on
the tracks of the Manassas Gap railroad,
was by way of Winchester over turnpike
1t is generally conceded that the idea of
taking the Baltimore aud Ohio rolling stock
originated with Col. Thomas r. Sharp at
the time of the occurrences narrated, cap
tain and acting quarermastcr in the Con
fcderatc army. He was a civil engineer by
profession aud a thorough railroad man,
self-reiaut and resourccful. Most of the
facts given are obtained from J. z. Duke,
now residing iu Cumberland Md and M
1901 Colonel Sharp confidential clerg Mr.
Duke, who enlisted iu the army from Jef-
fcrsou county, Va, was detailed for duty iu
the quarJermaster's department, was pre-
sent when some of the locomotives were
taken and was more or less identified with
the entire movement His memory has
been refreshed and his facts subsantiated
N. o. ID. I'D. Al IA
The necessity of obtaining the railroad
materialiu the manner described created a
special organization, entirely separate and
distinct from the military, though, of course
cooperating with that, and which, while
working under authority of the Quaatcr-
mastergcuemls office at Richmond, might
have been christeued the Railroad Corps"
The part taken by the military In the loco
motive seizures was merely that of furnish
ing protection. The armed forces invested
and pickctcd the country, and left the rail
road men free to operate
In speaking of the Baltimore and Ohio as
a Northern" road, the term is used broad
ly as distinguishing the line from those
lying entirely within what was at that
period of the war Confederate territory.
Geographically speaking, a good portion of
the road traversed The border between the
military North and South. lt was frequent
ly iu the hands of both armies, though the
Conlederates inflicted nearly, it not all, the
damage upon the road during the struggle.
In June, 1901, "Stonewall" Jackson, acting |.
under the orders of General Johnston went .
to Martiusburg aud burned number of
cars and engines belonging to the Baltimore
and Ohio road. The locomotives were but |
slightly injured (only the woodwork hav-
ing been damaged), and were among those
afterwaId carried off by the Railroad |
Corps
The frst capture of locomotives took
place at Martinsburg on a bright morn
ing IN July 1901 Everything having been
previously arranged, the forces selected to
do this work, consisting of about thirty
FIVE men, including six machiusts, detailed |
from the ranks ten teamsters, and about /
a dozen laborers, left Winchester before |
daybreak and proceeded by the pike to |
Martiusburg They were under the inn |
mediate Charup of HUGH T,s,,,,rt 90.