October 8, 1862 | Illustration
This image from the October 8, 1862 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts the railroad station in Hancock, Maryland.
October 8, 1862 | Illustration
This image from the October 8, 1862 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts three men at Fair View, Maryland observing Confederate forces in the distance working to destroy the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
October 5, 1862 | Letter
In this letter from October 5, 1862, Samuel Reed writes to his wife describing the difficulties his party has encountered surveying land in Melrose, Iowa. He writes that two of his men were badly wounded "by cuts with an axe," a creek in the valley has been nearly impassable, the food has become tiresome, and his party experienced a severe rainstorm. He also notes that Mr. Thielsen has informed him of a possible change in the supervision of the railroad and would like Reed to stay on as his engineer if the change does occur. Reed tells his wife that nothing is certain yet and that she should "say nothing about it until more is known."
October 4, 1862 | Illustration
Harper's Ferry, an important railroad terminus at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, changed hands eight times during the Civil War. This image was published just weeks after the Battle of Harper's Ferry, during which Confederate troops were victorious.
September 29, 1862 | Letter
In this letter from September 29, 1862, B.J. Earl, Samuel Reed's brother-in-law, writes to his sister Jennie Reed requesting family news. He describes excitement over the war and enlistment in Pennsylvania and also details the progress of railroad construction in the area. He notes that their sister, Lettie, was forced to leave her home "on account of the Indian troubels in Minna" and asks if Samuel Reed's brother, Erastus Reed, enlisted in the war.
September 21, 1862 | Letter
In this letter from September 21, 1862, Samuel Reed writes to his wife offering advice pertaining to the affairs of the family farm. He briefly mentions hearing of a treaty made with the Indians, but states that he has "no faith in treaties with them if the war with the south lasts." Reed also states that orders from Mr. Thielsen have caused him to delay his plans to visit home, but that he will return as soon as he can.
September 7, 1862 | Letter
In this letter from September 7, 1862, Samuel Reed writes to his wife stating that he may be home for a visit within three weeks if the field work continues at the present rate of eleven miles per week. He expresses surprise at the fact that the army "from Kansas had retreated from Arkansas" and requests information as to the war's progress in "Virginia and elsewhere." Reed states that most business not pertaining to the army seems to have been suspended, and worries that someone "more ambitious than patriotic" may be able to influence the Union army and assume control of the government as a military dictator.
September 1, 1862 | Letter
In this letter from September 1, 1862, Samuel Reed writes to his wife to assure them that he is safe from "all [Confederate] moving bands." He also comments on "the Indian troubles in Minnesota," stating that although he knows nothing of them he is not surprised to learn that there have been attacks on "the defenseless frontier on the north west" as there are many "fierce and warlike nations" which would relish an opportunity to attack whites.
August 24, 1862 | Letter
In this letter from August 24, 1862, Samuel Reed writes to his wife describing the difficulty of his party's work. He states that "the life we are now living would well fit us for army servis," and relates joking with his men about joining the army as engineers, admitting that he "would be the first to back out if a serious proposition of that kind was made to us." Reed also gives an account of where the men in his party are originally from.
August 16, 1862 | Letter
In this letter from August 16, 1862, Samuel Reed writes to his wife reiterating his belief that there is no danger of a draft in Iowa given the large number of volunteers, and hopes that a draft will not be necessary in the state of Illinois either. He also relates the details of his visit to a Baptist church, describing both the building and the congregation as "of very humble pretensions." He tells his wife that there is no possibility of him returning home for a visit until the field work is completed, but that he believes he will be able to get a family pass on the railroad for visitations.
August 12, 1862 | Letter
In this letter from August 12, 1862, Jennie Reed writes to her husband, Samuel Reed, from their home in Joliet, Illinois regarding rumors of a "large guerilla force near Hanibal" [Illinois]. She worries that Samuel may be "captured or killed or carried away a prisoner" and asks him to write her more often to reassure her of his safety. She also discusses the possibility of a draft and the harvesting and sale of the crops on their farm.
August 10, 1862 | Letter
In this letter from August 10, 1862, Samuel Reed writes to his wife from Center Township, Iowa stating that he feels like he is "on the extreme borders of civilization." He describes the excitement over the war in the area, speculating that if enlistment throughout Iowa were on par with that portion of the state "it will not be necessary to resort to [a] draft." Reed also offers an anecdote of his party's progress just before leaving Ottumwa, Iowa, and notes that a son of Mr. Thielsen, aged 13, has joined his party.
August 8, 1862 | Letter
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Master of Transportation, W. P. Smith, writes to the firm's president of the "rough" removal of a nurse from a B and O train.
August 8, 1862 | Letter
The President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad writes to General Meigs about the treatment of nurses on his rail line following an incident reported by Dorothea Dix.
July 27, 1862 | Letter
In this letter from July 27, 1862, Samuel Reed writes to his wife from Ottumwa, Iowa describing the difficulties of running lines through the "rough and brushy country" of the state with a party of eight men who are "entirely unused to the business." He writes that he hopes conditions will be more favorable further from the Des Moines River or else the work will last into the winter. Reed states that were it "not for the few dollars I can make here more than on the farm I should be tempted to take the first train for Illinois and bid farewell to Rail Roading."
July 1, 1862
The mechanism for the creation of the Union Pacific Railroad Company, this document is a demonstration of the intricate relationship between the business of the railroad and the business of government and expansion.
June 24, 1862 | Letter
In this June 24, 1862 telegram between a Mr. Young and E. H. Stokes, Young informs Stokes that he has "sent you by train three (3) negroes," which cost $1,800.
June 21, 1862 | Illustration
Corinth was at the junction of two railroad lines, the Mobile & Ohio and the Memphis & Charleston, and so was strategically important to both sides. This image was published shortly after the Seige of Corinth, in which the city was taken by Union forces.
May 12, 1862 | Map
This front page image illustrates the importance of maps of space and resources (including railroads) to readers of Civil War-era newspapers. Note the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad running up the center of the larger map; a number of other rail lines criss-cross the map.
May 12, 1862 | Map
During the Peninsula Campaign, the New York Daily Tribune provides readers with a detailed picture of the eastern Virginia; the Table of Distances at the bottom of the map further informs readers about the space and landscape being described in reports and dispatches. Note the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad running up the center of the image; a number of other rail lines criss-cross the map.