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Railroads and the Civil War

Series: Civil War

Railroads were essential to moving men and military supplies during the Civil War. The Battle of Atlanta, fought on July 22, 1864, was an attempt by federal troops under Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman to seize Atlanta’s rail center and cripple the Confederate war effort.

On the 150th anniversary of that battle, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College’s Christopher R. Gabel examines the importance of rail transportation to both Union and Confederate commanders.

The Confederacy’s rail system performed just well enough in the first two years of the war to keep the fledgling nation in the fight. Ultimately, though, the Southern railroads lost their capacity to support the war, while the Northern railroads achieved unprecedented levels of effectiveness.

Watch at c-span.org

Upcoming in this series:
Watch or Listen to Past Events in this Series:
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 6:30pm
Historian Bud Bowie looks at economic miscalculations by Confederate President Jefferson Davis and other Southerners that in effect doomed their cause even as it was...
18
Jul
The Battle of Fort Wagner: African American Troops...
Central Library |
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19
Nov
Gettysburg: The Most Important Event of 1863?
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6:30pm
10
Nov
"I Came Not to Bring Peace, but a Sword"
Central Library |
6:30pm
8
Feb
The Great Heart of the Republic: St. Louis and the...
Plaza Branch |
6:30pm
newspaper image of train

Railroads and the Civil War

Series: Civil War
Date & Location
In Person
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Adults