Victory Rode the Rails: The Strategic Place of the Railroads in the Civil War

by George Edgar Turner, Gary W. Gallagher (Introduction)

Early in the Civil War both the North and South were confronted with an entirely new problem in logistics. George Edgar Turner "It began to appear that important railroad junction points were to become major military objec-tives." Victory Rode the Rails portrays the decisive military advantage enjoyed by the side that controlled the railroads. Turner was a retired lawyer and insurance executive when his book was first published in 1953. It "remains the best introduction to the subject of railroads and military operations during the Civil War," says Gary Gallagher in presenting this book to a new audience.

Genres: Civil War, History, Railways, War

433 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The American Civil War was the first major conflict in which the logistical support of the armies was primarily the task of the railroads and, indeed, it is difficult if not impossible to comprehend many of the strategic decisions of that war without understanding how and why the various railroads functioned or didn't. Fortunately, GE Turner's fine history will light the way, so to speak. A classic in every sense - the book was first published the year I was born - Turner's Victory Rode The Rails is still the go-to book for anyone who wants to educate themselves about the roles of the railroad in the Civil War. Beautifully-written (the author wasn't a professor) and skillfully researched, the book covers both Union and Confederate railroad systems, and goes into great detail as to why the North was much better situated to exploit this technology for wartime purposes, including the disparate railroad building policies of North and South in the decade before the war. The Union was already partially industrialized and, as such, was able to manufacture any number of cars and locomotives, and a seemingly endless supply of track, which supported the Union advances, as well as making up for their losses in combat and accidents. But perhaps the Union's greatest advantage in railroading was the organization and deployment of special units and officers whose job was the building, repair and guarding of railroads needed in areas taken from the enemy. Due to a lack of resources and a poorly thought out hands-off policy by the Confederate government, the South fell behind and never caught up as far as the wherewithal to move and supply troops by rail was concerned. By the end of the war, these weaknesses would be evident by the fact that the South still had plenty of food and fodder, but her armies were suffering from shortages because of transportation issues. All in all, an excellent introduction

[George Siehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful ride--and read. Author George Turner writes with a wonderful narrative voice that brings out his deep knowledge of, and affection for, both railroading and the American Civil War. His book, Victory Rode the Rails, is about the crucial influence on war of both new technology, the railroad, and that old constant of warfare, logistics. He shows who grasped the potential of trains as a weapon very quickly, and who incorporated and enabled the use of that new potential. Campaign by campaign Turner describes how the railroad contributed to success or failure.

There were keen differences between North and South railroads from the beginning. The largely agricultural South had a rail system keyed to bringing crops to market. The North also used rail in the same way, but had a strong industrial economy that spawned a rail system that linked major city to major city, as well. Organizationally, the North created a national policy for utilizing rail, while the South refrained from such planning. The results were telling. Turner writes of the role of the North's secret weapon, Herman Haupt, at Gettysburg. " It is farther from Baltimore to Gettysburg than from Richmond to Fredericksburg, yet in four days during the heat of desperate battle Haupt accomplished for Meade what the Confederate organization could not do for Lee in four months of quiet." Haupt appears numerous times in this history. If Marvel Comics started a series on organizational managers, Herman Haupt would be their first bearded superhero.

Haupt first came to my attention in an alternate history of the Civil War where he was so effective he seemed likely to be a fictional character. Recently, however, in Eliot Cohen's study of wartime leadership, Supreme Command, Haupt's name appeared in the profile of Lincoln, complete with the quote given above. Superman was real and this book was where he lived.

Destruction of the enemy-held rail lines was a frequent wartime technique. Rails were torn up, twisted or bent, ties burned, and bridges torn down and burned. Armies existing at the end of long supply lines served only by rail could thus be starved of supplies, forcing them to retreat. The South was particularly adept at such destruction, especially as practiced by General Forrest. The North employed the same tactic. The impact of such destruction on the South was more severe because they could not effect repairs as readily due to their lack of a manufacturing base and the Union blockade of any imports.

Turner sticks closely to his topic: the role of railroads in the American Civil War. He describes the action of battles related to this topic, but gently begs off on describing all else. He closely follows Sherman's march to the sea, detailing his foraging, destruction of rail facilities, and skirmishes with Confederate militias on his was to Savannah. But, once there, Turner informs the reader: "The story of how he captured the city is one of great interest but the railroads were not involved." A similar gentle phrase will greet the reader at other non-rail points in this great epic work.

Highly recommended for readers who appreciate great history writing. I read the original edition which lacks the introduction by Gary Gallagher.

[Evan Þ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This's the story of railroads in the Civil War: of the Confederate railroads which decayed under lack of industrial capacity (the whole Confederacy wasn't able to build a single locomotive during the war!), and of the Union railroads which grew from triumph to triumph both of the private lines (which expanded under the new traffic demands) and the US Military Railroad.

I came to this book out of interest in the US Military Railroad, and that was richly repaid. Under the genius of Gen. Herman Haupt, they rebuilt lines in record time and kept them running at unbelievable capacity to supply the armies. Meanwhile, the Confederate lines suffered such that Lee was forced to abandon offensives due to starving soldiers even when camped right on a railhead, with ample supplies in Richmond!