Working Magic With Cornstalks and Beanpoles - Prologue Summer 2011

8/3/2019 Working Magic With Cornstalks and Beanpoles - Prologue Summer 2011

1/9

By David A. Peifer

Herman Haupt was not to be stopped.

H w ii , kill iz,

expeiece il eiee iptt fue the

Ui i hi jb i h pi i-ce the nths ility ils ui the Ciil W.

as the i che the peti the ils

i the el, he seee t wk ic i etti tps

ppli h bll pily i

bi k.

Working Magic withRecords Relating to the

32 Prologue Summer 2011


2/9

B h w h l wih. Hi pii

pph hi jb bl hi wk qikly

ily. Wh Lil l i p

ly hi i hi wk, h i h h h

es, Secety W Ewi Stt ay

Chi S g. Hy W. Hllk, h hy w

i wih hi.

Hupt ws clle t seice i ely 1862 put iche the petis ility ils i the viii

thete petis. He cul ls et ils bies

pi i h .

hi w h py -

i il bi w il h ikb,

viii, jb tht etly ipesse the ce-i-chie,

abh Lil, hh h bi lk fiy.

I ii my 28, Lil b, T Hp

h bil bi h l ihy hih,

css Ptc Ceek, which le tis e pssi eey

hu, up y w, etlee, thee is thi i it but

cstlks beples. Hupt the Cstucti Cps

h bi i i h w.

Te cuetti hw Hupt kept the tis ui

i h Ciil W i p h h h Q gl h il ahi. Wih

epts, cespece, etile histies, these ecs

cornstalks andBeanpolesU.S. Military Railroads During the Civil War

Opposite: The U.S. Military Railroads Firefy locomotive rests atop

a reconstructed Orange & Alexandria bridge near Union Mills,

Virginia. The original bridge was destroyed by Conederates.

Above:The locomotive Fred Leach on the Orange & Alexandria near

Union Mills, Virginia. Note the damage on the smoke stack and tender.

Prologue 3Working Magic with Cornstalks and Beanpoles


3/9

tell the sty the ily petis the

il hw hy ply l i -

pi p ppli i h w.

Te Ui clely uest tht ctl-

li il listics cul pie the key t

wii h w. h ii

il h Ciil W w h

C Jy 31, 1862, hiz-

i the Pesiet t tke pssessi the

il wh h wl y h

y qi i.

T Ciil W w h w i

whih l-l il pi w

pply i pily

l istces. Te Uite Sttes mility

rils, ecy pete by the W

deptet, the ils cptue i

the es cbt, usi the s supply

li Ui p.

By h h w, h y p

2,105 iles il, with cbie ll-

i k 419 i 6,330 , 642

iles tck, 26 iles bies built

bil, ly 30 illi ll.

Finding the right Man

to adMinister the railroadsHistis eelly ee tht the st

ip l h wi il w

i h i pply h Ui i i

the el. Te success citi the

eet-u ils the ility

w j i h Ui iy.

Te sty the U.S. mility rils

i h Ciil W i ll , ll

ltetiely with cfict cpeti

bw Ui l il h

il hy h ,

pbiliy, l il.

by 11, 1862, Sy S

ppite diel C. mcCllu s iec-

t supeiteet U.S. mility

rils. mcCllu h uthity t ete

up, tke pssessi , hl use ll il-

, i, , li, qip-

h y b qi h p

tps, s, uiti, ility

ppli h Ui S,

pe ll cts . . . tht y be ecessy

pp . . . h py p

i, h w i hi 1866 p.

mcCllus iew ws tht his izti

w i pi

hi, yi h bj h

i l.

mCll pw xpi i il-

i hi y i pi-

h w Yk Ei il,

beii i 1854. He eelpe eputti

s utctic lee, ui his il

with stict pecisi ste isciplie.

But t his ceit, he cbie his eieei

iisttie tlets with his plest

pliy k hi .

at the tie tht mcCllu ssue his u-

ties, the see-ile Wshit t

alexi, viii, ws the ly il i

eel eet ctl. By my 1862 the

alxi il, whih

alxi hw w ,

viii, ws iptt supply lie, s ws

the msss gp ril, which cee

h iy bw m Ji

yl Sb.

By the e the w, the U.S. mility

il h, i i i h

w, use pts 17 ils s ility

lies i viii, myl, Pesyli

23 i eessee, gei, mississippi,

ak, h Cli. I ii,

the sll Cstucti Cps ew

Left:As General McCallums assistant, Herman Haupt

preerred being out in the eld, and he worked magicin reconstructing bridges and keeping the trains

running on time.

Below: The Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac

Railroads Potomac Creek Bridge ater reconstruction.

In May 1862, using unskilled inantry, Herman Haupt

rebuilt this bridge in only nine rainy days with

considerably more than cornstalks and beanpoles.


4/9

oe his st us ccplishets

the e tht cuht Licls eye, ws the

ecstucti the Ptc Ceek Bie

whih h pi i i y wih (l

with cstlks beples) iequte

supply tls, iexpeiece help, i

iy wh. a pli, h bi

i 10 20 i y.

I ii h P Ck Bi

Hupt supeise the ecstucti the

bies s well s 1,000 eet wh t aqui

Ck. T i hi li

h by my 19, i w i h 15

il ikb aqi Ck,

lest tepily. Hupt h shwe wht his

Ci Cp l . T iiy

i i iiy i

hi h il li w

y bil y i

i h w.

but 300 e i 1863 t ely 10,000

by h h w.

di hi i pi h

U.S. miliy il, mCll lll

the ucti liis ce betwee the

eet the y ils the

e h, uctues il

equipet the the. His etest suc-

cess ws suppti the weste petis

nshille Chtt ue ge.

Willi . Sh i 1864.

T l pply Sh y

i its cpi Chtt t atlt

ws the st utsti chieeet

h iliy il, w T Wb

i Te Northern Railroads in the Civil War,

18611865.

Hwee, y the piciples eth-

pi i h pi w

p by H Hp wih h ay

h P i h viii i 1862.

the Man Who kept the trains

running, and running on tiMe

While mcCllu ws the iisttie

he the U.S. mility rils, He

Hp w i h h pi h

il i h l.

o apil 27, 1862, Hupt, e chie

eiee the Pesyli ril, ws

ie the k clel ppite ie-

e-cp t mj. ge. Ii mcdwell, the

i h Whi,

d.C. He epie tife w-e

il li i h iiiy Whi,

e tie il st, i-

p lph ii l h

il li.

H h i h l

supply the ay viii the ay

the Ptc, i iti t his expetise t

the cstucti estucti ils.

mcCllu Hupt ee t buil, e-

pi pete ils ee ue the

wst citis. S they ize cee

iles, slies, lbes, ee -

l h jb.

a Hupts st chllei s-

siets ws esti the rich,

eeicksbu, Ptc ril i-

lie alexi t aqui Ceek

ikb.

Right: Timetables or the U.S. Military Railroads have

been preserved in the National Archives.


5/9

haupt called in to prepare

For Battle oF second Manassas

Lte, i auust, ui the u-up tthe Bttle Sec msss i auust

1862, ge. Jh Ppe, hi tke e

h h ay viii

mcdwell, expesse the pii tht il-

w ip i iliy -

pi, csequetly the peti

il pplyi hi y bk w.

Hp w ll i by ai Sy

W P W wk hi i. H

w p i h ll il i h -

pi e ske t issue whtee esw y l p h ii. H

w bi h h.

Hp qikly w wk.

Hupt set up his hequtes i alexi

, whil wki p ix y

ihts, issue es t uj the ss

pply p i h

alexi , ui the bttle, t bi

h w bk m.

By li iy p i Whi,

Hp p h alxi y lsupply tis , subsistece, u-

ii. a ly illy w

h i, hby i p p.

Pehps the best exple the cfict

betwee Hupt the ility ces

i h l a 23, h w

wii i alxi h il

i h h.

Hupt ws ie tht the tis h

b pp il w by g.

Sl d. Si, wh h llwh p alxi. Si w

i pi hi li.

Hupt ieitely set ut Stuiss

hequtes. Whe he ie, Stuis

pl hi . Hp h hw

Si iph Hllk, h ay

Chi S, yi h iliy

h hiy i wih Hp -

tl the ils. Stuis the eplie:

Wll, h, k y il.

T ii hl p h i whil, cci t Hupt, kept t lest 10,000

h bl.

Pp S m w

t his ility ieptess the fel bttle.

haupt Wants to Quit,

But stanton prevails

Hupt kept the ils ui s best he

l, pi C i yi

bies the oe alexi

pbl i h w hbttlefel becuse ciilis usi the tis.

Hp ily i-

pssible bstcles ui the bttle his

h wk i kpi Whi i

the pess the bttle te teleph

ii wih Pp h b

w iz by Sy S.



6/9

supply the Ui y i the fel. He ls p l h il i p-

pli w il hy w ,

sue tht cs wee pptly ule

, blih hl.

L h ll, h Ci Cp

ws epii cstucti bies i

viii, he peecte ew eths e-

yi C bi, h p-

i ih-ih p, pk wih -

pwe, it hles i the bie liht-

i . Hi i h iblilcties ws siply i cbll

hh h bil.

getting the trains ready

For Battle oF gettysBurg

di hi y l, Hp

eus ipct the Ui w e-

t. ate Sec msss he ssiste the

ay viii ay h P

i h myl pi w pi-

lly eectie i suppti the gettysbupi, i h kw wll

his yuth. His hstily e tis

kept the Ui ay well supplie, he e-

fcietly ize the etui tis t c-

y h Ui w hpil.

nwhee ws the sty the ils

ll h i h h viii

thete petis up t te theBl gyb.

Hupts ctibuti ws the cesi

the sile-tck, 29-ile-l Weste

myl ril betwee Bltie

Westiste il i p c

iti it the successul supply lie

ge. gee g. mees y ui the

pi.

T W myl w y b

cuse the B&o the nthe Cetl i

t pie equte ccess t gettysbubee the bttle. Hi lie i gettysbu

b h w, h w ili wih h il

s i the e. He eise pl usi

i y, i i, i

scheules, t bi i supplies pisis

H l bh i hi Ci Cp

bi h il p p. llwi

Hupts istuctis, the Cstucti Cps

p p h h Cl H

Jucti llwe tht il t be use

i h bl.dui the bttle July 1 t July 3

1863, he ws ble t bi i supplies

bi h w Bli hpi-

tls i tiely e. By the e the

bttle, il supply lies t the Ui y

wee eliei supplies bey the ily

qi.

a w hi , Hp w p-te t biie eel Septebe 5,

1862. He tk the ppitet with se

i. H i h w bk

pi bi h w hppy h p-

tcls isciplie ay seice. Hwee,

h h y y

i h i il Spb 14, 1863.

I the etie, i lte 1862, i i-

i i pply i alxi

the tp tis Wshit,

d.C., Hupt h il cs lle withsupplies estie the Ui y e

ikb l ily b

alxi. w b l

i 16- i. S ph h

b w h P i h aqi

Ceek li, whee the cs wee cuple t

lctie set suth t the bttlefel.

a Ui quteste cul e

cl eee supplies by teleph t

alexi he it t luth ept,

just th eeicksbu, withi 12 hus.my histis he ee with Jh P.

Hky h T w h ki liil

pp h Cy h , by

y , w kbl 1862.

dui the myl cpi i

Septebe 1862, Hupt, the st tie,

use lyl ils i the nth i the iect

Left: The Orange & Alexandria Railroad acilities in Alexandria, Virginia. The roundhouse, yard, and depot were captured early in the war and became the base

o USMRR operations.Above:As superintendent o the U.S. Military Railroads, Union Gen. Daniel C. McCallum successully supervised most o the operations o the

U.S. Military Railroads. He submitted this report on operations o the U.S. Military Railroads in May 1866.



7/9

gee E ue sue up the

eict st histis whe he wte,

Cii ll h i i whih

i w plih, hi ly, i ,h b p. Hp wk w p-

illy why i h h b bl

ppii h ii h

wk i i il Jly 1.

expanding the railroads reach

deeper into the conFederacy

oe the utsti chieeets

the U.S. mility ril ws the eet

the Ui ay the Ptcs 11th

12h Cp, gl . . Hw

Hy Sl, h viii

Ch, .

o Septebe 24, 1863, Secety Stt

ecie t iitite the tp eet t

i Ch by il p g.

Jseph Hke i c the tw cps.

He ike the 1862 lw tht llwe the

Pi k l h il i

h iliy y.

S p mCll i h pl-

i, with help the Bltie

& ohi ril the Pesyli

il pi p, wih-

i fe ys, 25,000 e thei equipet

p h 12-y, 1,200-il il

stebt tip. Te tps tele liht,

b wih ll ii l.

Ui slies il wkes

wke well tethe t et the jb e.

Te Ui ces ie i tie t bek

the Ceete siee ge. Willi S.

rsecs tps t Chtt tu

h i h bl. Hky h -

e histis he cclue tht i il

, h w h ippi pi h w.

Te thee the est the w i the est

ws expsi petis it suthe

viii. dui the Petesbu cpi,

the U.S. mility rils extee thei c-

tiities t tw ew ils, the rich &

Yk rie the City Pit Petesbu.

Tese s ccupie the tck

rich est tw City Pit. Tey wee

by h Ci Cp,

wee the whes t City Pit. Tee ws

teeus buil-up supplies t City

Pi i pp g. Uly S. g

i Pb, bii i l 1864.

Webe cclue i his seil wk,

T hi ii h wk by

the mility rils viii ly t

ly i the ctie supply ies i the

el, but the wki ut piciples

peti sts eciecy tht

w ppli i h h h w.

To learn more about

Hw Lil h

y il bi

bil h miiippi

i, www.archives.gov/

publications/prologue/2004/summer/ di

Pi w-wii il Bii h

miiippi.

T il ahi xhibi, dii

h Ciil W, www.archives.gov/exhibits/

civil-war/.

T Ciil W hh l i

h il ahi, www.archives.gov/

research/arc/topics/civil-war/.

The locomotive Genl. Haupt heads up a train

used in excavating or a wye track near Devereux

Station. General Haupt himsel is standing on top o

the embankment in the center.



8/9

a Wealth oF history resides

in railroad records at nara

T h U.S. miliy il i

well kw. Wht is t s well kw is

h ii iil

iti ccei the histy

pi hi il. ate the w, the ecs the U.S.

mility rils, ti 1860 t

1867, w h Q

gl . T , li

th 100 cubic eet i 273 ecs seies, ie

ily cplete cuetti eel

ctl ils ui the Ciil W.

Te ecs e iptt the histy

il pi iliy li,

pilly i h Sh. T

w p h h hQ gl ( gp 92).

T xl i h y h

il ahi i Whi, d.C.

Te U.S. mility rils ecs csist

h h Hq,

miliy il, Whi, d.C.; U.S.

mility rils viii, alexi,

viii; U.S. mility rils, diisi

h miiippi, hill, ;

h U.S. miliy il, diii h

mii.

T bk l h-

q, ii p, h

l pili p i

h l; ll h hi i i-

x. h l izi

h h hq

i eel by lcti ils iclue

ily wk epts, eiht bks, eie le-

, lb il , h

ill il.

h ip i

the ecs is the rept Bi. ge. d. C.

mCll, di gl m,

mility rils, Uite Sttes, 1862

t 1866. Tis lethy ept etile the

hiy pi h U.S. miliy

il h i h w.

athe exteely iptt ept ws the

p pi by gl Hp

h i h h w wih h U.S.

miliy il. Ti p llly

lqly i Hp i pi

i h viii p gyb. Bh

these epts e iclue i the repts,

18631867 (Ey 1528) i h hq

ecs. othe siict epts i this se-

i il h il p by J. J. m,

deptet viii, ebuy 1866

iscelleus epts petis ili-

y il i by gl mCll

18621863; gl mCll pi

p h H li J 1866

Jly 1866.

he cespece betwee Hupt

Stuis, the ility ce

ui Sec msss is iclue i the

L i by Cl. H. Hp, Chi

Above: On the right, a company o McClellans troops await transportation next to U.S. Military Railroads

locomotive #153 at City Point, Virginia. Below:A coal train near the U.S. Military Railroads Engine House and

docks at City Point, Virginia. Note the barges on the river.



9/9

Cstucti sptti, 1862 (Ety

1509). a the teles is the Hlleck

iph a 23 ii Hp -

thity t u the ils s he sw ft, s well

s tele t Pesiet Licl utlii

h ii iily h bl.

Te eles Set by ge. d. C.

mCll, mhmy 1862 (Ey 1511)

iclues seel teles t ge. n. P. Bks

i mch escibi the cquisiti, s quick-

ly s pssible, tibe the pupse

i l h m gp

il. al xpli w h ily i

bii w h li, whih

ly i i bh ii.

athe seies teles is the eles

Set, 18621864 (Ety 1512). Tis se-

ies iclues teles set by mcCllu

Hupt t ility ces ski

e supplies the Cstucti

Cp, pilly i h i

h aqi Ck bi.

Pite ul epts the petis

h il by mCll, Spb

30, 1863, Spb 30, 1865, by

E. L. Wetz, Chie Eiee geel

Spi, J 30, 1864, i

the aul repts ge. d.C. mcCllu,

18631865 (Ey 1526).

als iteest i this seies is pite

ept title I the mtte Suthe

rils: Bie the Questis mttes

t Issue Betwee the ril Cpies

the Uite Sttes. Tis ept tells

the estti the suthe ils t

hi w h i hilii

wih h h l xpi i

epii the ptecti the e-

stucti t the hs the Ceetes.

als liste i the ept e the sles lli

stck the equipet t the iil

il cpies the ius bjec-

i h il pi h-

i py h y.

a Skh h ii izi

the Uite Sttes mility ril

Si, pil il , i i

h Hiy U.S. miliy il, 1862

(Ey 1525). Ti h p i

eiti the beii the il

h i xi, h h p-

tecti tps teli thuh Bltie

Whi i 1861.

S h i i -

tue e the Cucts repts, 18631864

(Ety 1581). Tese tile epts ie the

i b, pi bki -

bkti, the te the eet, the

ties eptue il. It ls ies the

h i bk h

yp h i hi .

Tese luius ecs ttl 60 cubic eet.

als iclue i these ecs e the U.S.

mility ril ietbles, 18621864

(Ey 1580).

ibl, i pil, h h b

well pesee is the Ieul ie ble n.

1 h & alxi Li bw

alexi Ui mills, viii. Te

i li i i w

h li.

Te miscelleus repts, 18631865

(Ety 1582) is the exple

the uti utie teil i these

. Ti i il 49 bi

p h h hi hp

il, p wk , p

pssee eceipts, wh stes epts,

teleph ti epts, ily epts eiht

set eceie, weekly epts e e-

ply, p h li i, -

pts cs tis set we by

set t the Bltie ohi ril,

p lb wk .

illy, h il ahi h y

y phph p h U.S.

mility rils, these e lcte t the

ntil achies i Cllee Pk, myl.

T l i h -

seche iteeste i Ciil W ils.

Hiilly ii l l,

ul epts by geels mcCllu

Hupt, ps phtphs the il-

s e ixe i with the utie e

ue ecs such s cucts epts,

lists eplyees, ily juls eets,

l . I h

se usty, se e, ll spilli

e with histyis the sty the U.S.

miliy il i h Ciil W. P

T y xll y

the histy the U.S. mility rils. Te tw

i i h p hi il

T Wb, Te Northern Railroads in the

Civil War, 18611865(w Yk: Ki Cw

Pess, 1952) gee E ue, Victory

Rode the Rails: the Strategic Place of the Railroads

in the Civil War(Iipli, I: Bbb-mill,

1953). Tese wks e the st iptt

ii Ciil W il.

othe useul suces e Jh E. Clk,

J., Railroads in the Civil War: Te Impact of

Management on Victory and Defeat(B :

Lii S Uiiy P, 2001), pi-

lly the eet the 11th 12th Cps

t Chtt. a ey eiew il-s ui the Ciil W is Jh P. Hkey, Te

il W: Hw h I Ch h

aeic Ciil W, rains, 71 (mch 2011).

al, mihl Ly w bk, Railroads in the

Civil War: An Illustrated History (Yley, Pa:

Westhle Publishi, 2010), lue by

y ah mih,Mr. Lincolns Military

Railroads: A Pictorial History of the United States

Civil War Railroads, 18611865 (new Yk:

nt, 1979), e suces ies Ciil

W ils. w the suces Ciil W il-

h pi bk ii

Jeey n. Lsh, Destroyer of the Iron Horse: General

Joseph E. Johnston and Confederate Rail ransport,

18611865(Ket, oH: Ket Stte Uiesity

Pess, 1991), rbet C. Blck, Te Railroads of

the Confederacy(Chpl Hill: Uiiy h

Cli P, 1952).

Keeth W. mue Hey Putey Bees,

Te Union: A Guide to Federal Archives Relating to

the Civil War(Wshit, dC: ntil achies

recs aiistti, 1986) pies

y h U.S. miliy il

h il ahi.

David A. Peifer is chiist with

the achies II reeece Secti,

extul achies Seices diisi,

h il ahi Cll

Pk. He specilizes i tsptti ecs hs

publishe ticles ie ueus pesettis

ccei il ecs i the ntil achies.

H i h h Records Relating to North American

Railroads( Ii Pp 91) i -

q ib Prologue.

Author

ote on Sources


Working Magic With Cornstalks and Beanpoles - Prologue Summer 2011

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Transcript of Working Magic With Cornstalks and Beanpoles - Prologue Summer 2011