Re: Movement of Confederate troops by Railroad
Thanks for your response, Alan. I will definitely look at the book you recommend. The route you mention from Auburn to Huntsville (through Atlanta and Chattanooga) is consistent with what is in two letters I have, but the letters are from two different men in the same company of the regiment I am studying. Have you run across anything that talks about how regiments were actually moved by rail? (How many cars were required to move an infantry company? Was a separate train used for each company, or were both companies moved by a single train? Were there places where trains usually stopped for the soldiers to eat or take breaks on the route between Alabama and Richmond, Virginia?) The letters I have indicate the 14th Alabama moved two companies at a time from Huntsville ( I believe they passed through Lynchburg, Virginia) to Richmond, Virginia. It appears that moving by two companies at a time, it took 5 days for a regiment to move by rail, but I have no other information about troop movements by rail. If you know of any other good references you can recommend that address these kinds of details, please let me know. Thanks again.