DaveBrt
1st Lieutenant
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2010
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
It appears that there were 3 locomotives named Washington that worked the US line from Aquia to Fredericksburg during the war. The first one, a 4x4x0, is the one in question here.
When the Union prepared to leave Aquia in September, 1862, they listed 7 locomotives present and removed. An additional locomotive was not listed for removal, and, in fact, was abandoned. This was the "old locomotive Washington, so crippled she could not be moved. (OR)" The Union destroyed the bridges on the road.
On October 27th, the President of the RF&P RR wrote to the QMG about the old engine left by the Yankees in Fredericksburg. The date is good, but the exact statement is the summary made by a clerk in the Letters Received Register; the letter has not been found.
On November 15, Lee ordered that the Aquia branch be completely destroyed, removing the iron, if possible. By November 26, Union forces had so re-established themselves east of Fredericksburg that the RF&P line into the city was removed at night by Pickett's Division.
I have found no other reference to any Confederate effort to either destroy more fully the Aquia branch or remove any iron from it. The RF&P had just re-established service to Fredericksburg and then almost immediately had to fall back 5 miles. The removal of the Aquia branch iron in 1863 and 1864 is well documented (and was fruitful), but there is not a word about such effort in the few days between the 15th and 26th of November. The 1863 and 1864 iron removals were painfully slow in getting underway, with much correspondence about wagons, slaves, military escort, Engineer Department supervision, etc. -- none of which survives from 1862.
Since the Aquia branch bridges were destroyed by the departing Federals, since the locomotive Washington was in such bad condition that it could not even be moved onto a barge and since there is no documentation of even an effort by the Confederates to remove any Aqua branch material in 1862, I wonder if the Washington was abandoned, but not removed by the Confederates.
This conclusion, however, does fit well with the Union desire that since the Washington had caused so much trouble that it would be well if it fell off the new bridge (the beanpole and cornstalk bridge) later. Perhaps the Union eventually repaired the old hulk and it was that locomotive that was so unloved.
Final fact, a Washington is listed as a captured US locomotive on the list of engines on the Richmond & Petersburg RR. If this locomotives was called Washington by the US (some captured locomotives had their names changed), is this the "old junk locomotive?" If so, how did it get to Richmond from Aquia?
When the Union prepared to leave Aquia in September, 1862, they listed 7 locomotives present and removed. An additional locomotive was not listed for removal, and, in fact, was abandoned. This was the "old locomotive Washington, so crippled she could not be moved. (OR)" The Union destroyed the bridges on the road.
On October 27th, the President of the RF&P RR wrote to the QMG about the old engine left by the Yankees in Fredericksburg. The date is good, but the exact statement is the summary made by a clerk in the Letters Received Register; the letter has not been found.
On November 15, Lee ordered that the Aquia branch be completely destroyed, removing the iron, if possible. By November 26, Union forces had so re-established themselves east of Fredericksburg that the RF&P line into the city was removed at night by Pickett's Division.
I have found no other reference to any Confederate effort to either destroy more fully the Aquia branch or remove any iron from it. The RF&P had just re-established service to Fredericksburg and then almost immediately had to fall back 5 miles. The removal of the Aquia branch iron in 1863 and 1864 is well documented (and was fruitful), but there is not a word about such effort in the few days between the 15th and 26th of November. The 1863 and 1864 iron removals were painfully slow in getting underway, with much correspondence about wagons, slaves, military escort, Engineer Department supervision, etc. -- none of which survives from 1862.
Since the Aquia branch bridges were destroyed by the departing Federals, since the locomotive Washington was in such bad condition that it could not even be moved onto a barge and since there is no documentation of even an effort by the Confederates to remove any Aqua branch material in 1862, I wonder if the Washington was abandoned, but not removed by the Confederates.
This conclusion, however, does fit well with the Union desire that since the Washington had caused so much trouble that it would be well if it fell off the new bridge (the beanpole and cornstalk bridge) later. Perhaps the Union eventually repaired the old hulk and it was that locomotive that was so unloved.
Final fact, a Washington is listed as a captured US locomotive on the list of engines on the Richmond & Petersburg RR. If this locomotives was called Washington by the US (some captured locomotives had their names changed), is this the "old junk locomotive?" If so, how did it get to Richmond from Aquia?