civil war train name

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This is directed primarily at mr. Lawrence Goolsby, but any input would be appreciated. I'm trying to find the name of the train that ran through Southwest Virignia in 1861, carrying Confederate troops to Abingdon (Washington Cty), Bristol, and ultimately all the way up to Lexington, KY. Also, did this train go through Carbo, Russell County? I presume it was a woodburning steamer. I did hear from someone that it was called the "grayback hauler", and from another I heard it was the "Miss Baughn Express". Any one out there want to take on this puzzle? Richard Lee Fulgham. PS: you historian buffs may want to check out my last book, "Appalachian Genesis", at www.Overmoutainpress.com or www.geocities.com/rlfulgham. No trains in it but heaps 'n heaps of indians. You train guys are so cool!

-- Richard Dragon Fulgham (rlfulgham@hotmail.com), April 08, 2002

Answers

Might want to get some input from the N&W folks,since none of any ACL predecessor roads went that way

-- V.L.Lewis (TrkInsp5F33@aol.com), April 08, 2002.

Yep, I got another email from a local here later today with the same information; however, there were no "south to north" lines running through here (besides, the place was in Yankee hands anyway).

-- Buck Dean (bdean@jngray.com), April 08, 2002.

Buck -

The sources for the following are Edson's RAILROAD NAMES, Prince's L&N STEAM LOCOS and THE OFFICIAL ATLAS OF THE CIVIL WAR. The railroad you mention, Lexington & Ohio, couldn't get their steam engines to work and went to horse power. After a bankruptcy and reorganization, they became the Lexington & Frankfort. The line from Louisville to Lexington was completed in 1851. Coming down from Cincinnati, the Covington & Lexington(Covington to Paris) opened in 1856 and met the Maysville & Lexington in Paris. The M&L had opened Paris-Lexington in 1853. Both lines, Louisville-Lexington & Covington-Lexington are shown on an 1860 RR map, and in the OFFICIAL ATLAS. As I stated earlier, to my knowlege no Confederate troops rode a train to Lexington, Ky., except maybe as prisoners of war. Corrections to the above are most certainly welcome.

-- Tom Underwood (tlunder@attglobal.net), April 08, 2002.


Tom...

The only one I know about around here in those times was the Lexington & Ohio. The Cincy Southern hadn't been started yet.

Buck Dean Lexington,KY

-- Buck Dean (bdean@jngray.com), April 08, 2002.


Mr. Fulgham - Are you looking for the name of the "train" or the name of the railroad company? The name of the only railroad company in southwest Virginia in 1861 was the VIRGINIA & TENNESSEE RR whose line ran from Lynchburg to Bristol generally along the current US Hwy 11. This would be about 20 miles east of Carbo, Va., which had no railroad in 1861. It is doubted that any Confederate troops rode from Virginia "all the way up to Lexington, Ky." There were only two rail lines to Lexington, Ky., in 1861, from Cincinnati and Louisville. To reach Cincinnati would have meant a trip through Pennsylvania and Ohio, highly unlikely for Confederate troop trains. To reach Louisville would have meant a trip from Bristol, via Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and north into Kentucky. With Union troops all over Kentucky, it is also doubted the CSA troops would managed to ride directly to Lexington, Ky. I'd suggest you obtain these two books for further reading: THE RAILROADS OF THE CONFEDERACY, by Robert C. Black III and VIRGINIA RAILROADS IN THE CIVIL WAR by Angus James Johnson II, both of which are currently listed on www.abebooks.com. By the way, none of these railroads were later part of the ACL or SAL, the subject of this forum.

-- Tom Underwood (tlunder@attglobal.net), April 08, 2002.


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