newspaper image of train

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 8, 2012 6:30pm
Adam Arenson, assistant professor of history at the University of Texas at El Paso, examines the efforts of St. Louis’ intellectuals and mercantile elite to make the...
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Antietam: The Bloodiest Day
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Shawn Faulkner: Jonny Reb and Billy Yank
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19
Nov
Gettysburg: The Most Important Event of 1863?
Central Library |
6:30pm
10
Dec
1864: The Year of Decision?
Central Library |
6:30pm
newspaper image of train

Railroads and the Civil War

Series: Civil War
Date & Location
In Person
Details
Adults