United States Military Railroad
Encyclopedia
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
that ran railroads for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
wherever they were needed. It was established in 1862 under General Daniel McCallum
Daniel McCallum
Daniel Craig McCallum was a railroad engineer and manager.McCallum was born in Scotland in 1815. In 1822 his family emigrated to New York when he was still a boy. In Rochester he spend a few years at elementary school, and didn't follow his fathers footsteps to become a tailor...
.
Petersburg Campaign
The Petersburg siege was the final campaign in the Civil War. A specially built railroad was needed to bring supplies to the front. Based at City Point, VirginiaCity Point, Virginia
City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.- History :...
, at the confluence of the Appomattox River
Appomattox River
The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long, in central and eastern Virginia in the United States, named for the Appomattocs Indian tribe who lived along its lower banks in the 17th century...
with the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
and was an essential portion of Union General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in 1864 -1865.
The United States Military Railroad supplied more than 100,000 troops and more than 65,000 horses and mules with food, equipment, and supplies from the waterfront docks on the navigable portion of the James River at City Point. Grant maintained his headquarters nearby on the grounds of Appomattox Manor
Appomattox Manor
Appomattox Manor is a former plantation in Hopewell, Virginia, USA. It is best-known as the Union headquarters during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864-65....
.
The railroad began by assuming the eastern portion of the nine-mile long City Point Railroad
City Point Railroad
The City Point Railroad was a nine-mile railroad in eastern Virginia established in 1836 which ran from City Point on the navigable portion of the James River to Petersburg, Virginia...
, which extended to Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. It branched off with new track and ran behind union lines, eventually extending 21 additional miles and partially encircling Petersburg. 25 steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s and more than 275 pieces of rolling stock were used, operating a total of 2,300,000 miles.