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  • | Illustration

    "Repairing Railroad, etc"

    The U.S. Military Railroads rebuilt the South?s railroads in the closing months of the war. African American railroad workers cut timber, broke rock, and hauled gravel for the grading. Their experience on the railroads as trackmen and laborers, as well as firemen and brakemen, continued after the war. In 1880 over 50 percent of all railroad workers in Virginia were black; in Pennsylvania, by contrast, railroad workers were almost uniformly white.

  • | Illustration

    Keywords appearing in all Union officers? correspondence in the 1862 Peninsular Campaign

    Keywords appearing in all Union officers? correspondence in the 1862 Peninsular Campaign; the larger the word, the more often it appeared in their writings. Compiled from U.S. War Department, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Gettysburg, Pa.: National Historical Society, c. 1971?1972), Vol. 11 (Part III), 1?384. (Voyeur Tools [copyright 2009] Steffan Sinclair and Geoffrey Rockwell, v. 1.0; graph by Trevor Munoz and the author [September 2009]. This image was generated using Wordle, under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.)

  • | Illustration

    Harper's Ferry, as Evacuated by the Confederate Troops

    This image from the July 6, 1861 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts Harper's Ferry after its evacuation by Confederate troops.

  • | Illustration

    New York Militia En Route to Washington, D.C.

    This image from the March 3, 1860 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts soldiers from the New York state militia on their way to Washington, D.C. to attend the inauguration of a statue of George Washingon.

  • | Book

    Education of Henry Adams

    The Education of Henry Adams is a personal account of the vast changes wrought on civilization over the course of the 19th century; technology, politics, economics, cultural, and intellectual transformations drive Adams' reflections. In the following excerpts, Adams addresses the transportation revolution.

  • Letter from Sally A. Kendrick to Jennie Reed, June 19, 1867

    In this letter from June 19, 1867, Sally A. Kendrick writes to Jennie Reed, wife of Samuel Reed, thanking her for the books she sent. She notes she is glad to hear that Mr. Reed has recovered from his illness, and wishes she could travel "over the glorious West" to see them. She states she is "glad that the church has two such men on the Union Pacific Road as S.B. Reed & General Simpson," as they will spread good impressions of Christianity as they make their way further into the West.

  • Letter from Sally A. Kendrick to Jennie Reed, August 2, 1865

    In this letter from August 2, 1865, Sally A. Kendrick writes to Jennie Reed, wife of Samuel Reed, discussing the war's end. She states that she is glad it ended "in the right way," with the abolishment of slavery. She also details her congregation's attempts to start a church hospital now that the military hospitals are all closed, and describes her work as a nurse during the war. Kendrick also notes that she has a nephew at Fort Laramie who is in charge of a company of former Rebels, and requests Mr. Reed make a visit if his work ever takes him out that far.

  • Letter from Joshua M. Shaffer to Samuel B. Reed, January 4, 1864

    In this letter from January 4, 1864, Joshua M. Shaffer, Surgeon of the Board of Enrollment for the First Congressional District of Iowa, writes to Samuel Reed informing him that his name has been successfully stricken from the draft enrollment list in Burlington, Iowa upon receipt of proof that his name is on the enrollment list in Joliet, Illinois.

  • Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Jennie Reed, December 13, 1863

    In this letter from December 13, 1863, Samuel Reed writes to his wife discussing the new position of their friend Danforth H. Ainsworth on the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad. Reed also asks his wife to get a certificate verifying that his name is on the draft enlistment rolls in Joliet, Illinois, as he needs it to have his name removed from the list of first class draftees in Burlington, Iowa. His believes that, as he was not 45 years old when the draft was initially ordered, his name will have to remain on the list of second class draftees in Joliet, but does not believe it likely that "the draft will affect both classes" and tells his wife not to be anxious.

  • Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Jennie Reed, December 6, 1863

    In this letter from December 6, 1863, Samuel Reed writes to his wife describing how busy he has been kept with the problems his crew has been having with wells along the line of railroad construction. He states that he has found his name on the draft enrollment list in Burlington, Iowa "among the unmarried and less than 45." He believes he will be able to prove both facts untrue, and asks her to check the enrollment list in Joliet, Illinois so that he may work to have his name removed from that list as well if it appears there. Reed also expresses displeasure at the efforts of some to force the pastor at the church he attends to "preach abolitionism instead of the gospel as handed down from the Fathers."

  • Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Jennie Reed, December 1, 1863

    In this letter from December 1, 1863, Samuel Reed writes to his wife discussing the next day's city election in Burlington, Iowa. He worries that there will be trouble and expresses anger at the Republican Party for having "thrown away the old constitution which has been our safeguard thus far in our national existence and set up the administration in its place whose greatest asperations seems to be the nigger." Reed states that he is glad he has business on the road the next day, as he has no desire to be near any "row" which may occur. He also notes that there is still no certainty regarding the extension of the road that season, and is undecided "about staying here for 1000 a year and gold rapidly advancing."

  • Letter from Jennie Reed to Samuel B. Reed, October 11, 1863

    In this letter from October 11, 1863, Jennie Reed writes to her husband, Samuel Reed, describing the progress of the harvest on their farm. She states that his enlisted brother, Erastus H. Reed, is still well, but that many believe Colonel Frederick A. Bartleson was killed at the Battle of Chickamauga.

  • Letter from Jennie Reed to Samuel B. Reed, October 3, 1863

    In this letter from October 3, 1863, Jennie Reed writes to her husband, Samuel Reed, expressing hope that he succeeds in his latest attempt to secure employment closer to home. She also relays information concerning some acquaintances of theirs who have been wounded in the war, noting that Erastus H. Reed, Samuel Reed's enlisted brother, is still alive and well.

  • Letter from Jennie Reed to Samuel B. Reed, September 27, 1863

    In this letter from September 27, 1863, Jennie Reed writes to her husband, Samuel Reed, some days after he departed from a visit home. Once more, she expresses her desire for him to secure employment closer to home, at least during the coming winter, and asks him to mention the possibility to Mr. Thielsen. She also requests information regarding the railroad passes which he was to secure for her and a cousin.

  • Letter from Sally A. Kendrick to Jennie Reed, September 12, 1863

    In this letter from September 12, 1863, Sally A. Kendrick writes to her friend Jennie Reed, wife of Samuel Reed, discussing the recent death of her brother and the war. She speculates that the war will not end until slavery is abolished, but notes that she did not think so until after the fall of Fort Sumter. She states that she is no abolitionist, does not believe in "the equality of the races," and does not "want them here among us," but does "want to see them free and colonized some where." She shares several ideas regarding what should be done with the slaves after they are freed.

  • Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Jennie Reed, August 3, 1863

    In this letter from August 3, 1863, Samuel Reed writes to his wife apologizing for the fact that he has been unable to get a position on the railroad closer to home. He expects to learn more regarding the extension of the road very soon, as one of the railroad's primary investors, a Mr. Forks, has returned from Europe. Reed notes the consequences of the drought in Iowa, detailing the resultant success of the stage coach business along the Mississippi. He assures his wife that she "need not fear on account of my politics [as] I have not spoken to a single person about government policy since my return to Iowa."

  • Letter from Jennie Reed to Samuel B. Reed, August 2, 1863

    In this letter from August 2, 1863, Jennie Reed writes to her husband, Samuel Reed, chiding him for not writing her more often. She tells him she has not received any further information regarding the "particulars" of his enlisted brother Burritt's death. She also expresses regret that he was unable to see the men in Chicago he needed in order to inquire about a position on the railroad closer to home.

  • Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Jennie Reed, July 29, 1863

    In this letter from July 29, 1863, Samuel Reed writes to his wife some time after a visit home to Joliet, Illinois. He tells her that his enlisted brother, Burritt, has died at a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and states, "I have not once thought since Burritt & Erastus enlist[ed] that either of them would fall." He also notes "I did not see the men in Chicago that I wanted to and have written to them but have recvd no answer yet," referring to his attempt to secure a position on the railroad closer to home.

  • Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Jennie Reed, May 11, 1863

    In this letter from May 11, 1863, Samuel Reed writes to his wife describing the difficult work of the past week. He details his trips up the Mississippi, Skunk, and Iowa Rivers in search of timber for railroad ties, stating that his party is heading out again that day and will make use of a steamboat to make the trip up the Mississippi easier. He also notes that Mr. Thielsen has requested a railroad pass for her to come to Burlington, Iowa with and that it should be arriving soon. Commenting on the "battle and defeat" on the Potomac, Reed asks "will the administration ever be satisfied with shedin [the] blood of our countrymen?"

  • Letter from Cordelia L. Bailey to Jennie Reed, April 13, 1863

    In this letter from April 13, 1863, Cordelia L. Bailey writes to Jennie Reed, wife of Samuel Reed, discussing her anxieties about her enlisted son Walter. She states that he was in such poor condition upon returning from the South that she encouraged him to remain at home, even at the risk of being charged with desertion. Worry over his arrest prompted her to attempt to obtain his discharge. She also writes that because the government is employing all the domestics in sewing, soon "housekeepers will all be compelled to employ the Contrabands."