Wilmington and Manchester Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Wilmington and Manchester Railroad was a railroad that served South Carolina
and North Carolina
before, during and after the American Civil War
. It received its charter in 1846 and began operation in 1853 from Wilmington, North Carolina
, extending west to Camden Crossing, South Carolina.
The 163-mile route was built to haul South Carolina cotton to the Port of Wilmington, which was attempting to compete with the Port of Charleston. The railroad would go on to become a major shipper of navel stores and cotton.
The line was devastated at the end of the War Between the States when Union Gen. William T. Sherman dispatched some 2,500 federal troops from the South Carolina coast to locate locomotives and rolling stock the Confederates were hiding in the state's hinterland.
In April 1865, the force, under Gen. Edward E. Potter located nine locomotives and approximately 200 cars, many belonging to the Wilmington and Manchester, near Manchester, South Carolina, and destroyed them.
Gen. William MacRae took over as superintendent in January 1866 and helped get the line back in operating order. However, the Wilmington and Machester declared bankruptcy in 1870.
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
before, during and after the American Civil War
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
. It received its charter in 1846 and began operation in 1853 from Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, extending west to Camden Crossing, South Carolina.
The 163-mile route was built to haul South Carolina cotton to the Port of Wilmington, which was attempting to compete with the Port of Charleston. The railroad would go on to become a major shipper of navel stores and cotton.
The line was devastated at the end of the War Between the States when Union Gen. William T. Sherman dispatched some 2,500 federal troops from the South Carolina coast to locate locomotives and rolling stock the Confederates were hiding in the state's hinterland.
In April 1865, the force, under Gen. Edward E. Potter located nine locomotives and approximately 200 cars, many belonging to the Wilmington and Manchester, near Manchester, South Carolina, and destroyed them.
Gen. William MacRae took over as superintendent in January 1866 and helped get the line back in operating order. However, the Wilmington and Machester declared bankruptcy in 1870.