Sherman Neck Ties

[Dred]

Sherman Neck Ties- Name given to torn up railroad ties. Soldiers would rip them from the ground and heat them over large fires until they were red hot. They would then wrap them around trees making them impossible to re-use.

[ole]

Also called Sherman's hair-pins. The fires would be made of stacked RR ties. When the raild were heated, they became unusable, bending them around an upright post or tree was icing on the cake. The soldiers became quite adept in making tools and other accommodations for handling the hot rails.

On the other hand, many of Sherman's soldiers became quite skilled at building. It makes an interesting study of soldiers. It was said that there was no sense in burning bridges as Sherman's people seemed to carry replacements with them.

Joe Johnston paid one of the highest complements ever to Sherman's troops who crossed the flooded Carolina swanps at a rate of 10 miles per day during the final days. Something to the effect that no army in the history of the world could have crossed that territory in as little time as it did. Truly, a stellar accomplishment of a few hundred men with axes.

ole

[larry_cockerham]

Sometimes a good water moccasin can hasten movement.

Sherman's boys were just as good at ripping out railroads as puttin' 'em back. They practiced quite a bit down in Mississippi early in the war. Forrest was also adept. 'May be where he became inspired to go into the railroad business after the war.

[ole]

Bad place for a discussion, but not worth starting another thread: did Forrest have any gold stashed during the war? Or did he start over from scratch. He was not dumb enough to invest in Confederate paper. Or was his plantation all the assets he had and just used his personal drive to come back?

As a Forrest scholar, figured you would know.

By the way, I can't imagine that cottonmouths would be much of a problem in February and March.

ole

[larry_cockerham]

The value of a good cottonmouth is mostly in the mind. Good point, as usual, however. As for Forrest, I'm inclined to think he essentially lost all, aside from his contacts. He had been a three-term alderman in Memphis and was friends of lots of folks in high political places, like governor etc. His two plantations south of Memphis and over in Arkansas would have lost most of their labor and obviously their owner over his four years in the war. His health was apparently failing rapidly as well. Any Confederate savings, as you surmise, would have been useless. The slave business had been closed since about 1859 or so. Most of his real wealth came from the cotton and there would have been considerable overhead. A note about 1872 or so shows him living in a cabin on President's Island. His health and work activity would have slowed, though he was attempting to run the railroad, probably with several investors. For the few years until his health declined (mostly high blood pressure), he was able to move about. He must have had some personal wealth, although he was obviously well known by that time and doubtless was afforded some courtesies that most would not have had.
There's no evidence that any of his family suffered from wealth after the war.

[richard]

Just a note. While Col John Wilder was living in Chattanooga after the war, it is reported that Wilder got wind of Forrest wanting to start a railroad project and needed money. It is said that Wilder invited him to Chattanooga for a sit down talk and dinner. Forrest accepted the offer and when Forrest left, Wilder granted him a personal loan.

Of course, Wilder needed rail transport for his Iron works in the Chattanooga, and Rockwood area.