Originally published by UNC Press in 1952; The Railroads of the Confederacy tells the story of the first use of railroads on a major scale in a major war. Robert Black presents a complex and fascinating tale; with the railroads of the American South playing the part of tragic hero in the Civil War: at first vigorous though immature; then overloaded; driven unmercifully; starved for iron; and eventually worn out--struggling on to inevitable destruction in the wake of Sherman's army; carrying the Confederacy down with them. With maps of all the Confederate railroads and contemporary photographs and facsimiles of such documents as railroad tickets; timetables; and soldiers' passes; the book will captivate railroad enthusiasts as well as readers interested in the Civil War.
#261260 in Books The University of North Carolina Press 1990-03-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.24 x 6.00l; 1.64 #File Name: 0807842737494 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. ILLUMINATINGBy henry lindsayMy mother was born and raised in Augusta Ga.That's what drew my initial interest to this book.Plus; the fact that Nell Painter(a gifted historian and writer) added her intellect to the introduction/overview;sealed the deal.The book was a real eye/mind opener in helping me to understand the mindset of the slave owning planter(read 1% elite) population of this country.Religion and class seemed to authorize and justify her(Mrs.E Thomas) deep seated racist convictions.Did her god create negroes to serve rich whites? They seemed to think so;absolutely and without contradiction.She felt betrayed(imagine that);at the end of the civil war;when her 'servants';many of whom had been trained as craftsmen;on her plantations;left to seek skilled wages.Worth noting also was her fear/resentment of the beautiful mulattoes;whom she felt had a sexual advantage;over proper white women and ;who(now that the war had ended in defeat) could now be educated....('how many white gentlemen would be left for her daughters to marry')The socio/economic conditions of the deep south were very slow in changing because of governmental betrayals(after'Reconstruction') to the ex-slaves and some of the choices the ex-slaves and the ex-slave-owners made...........;the blacks called on jesus ;and the whites called on smith and wesson;.(Malcolm X)FUTURE GENERATIONS OF HOMO SAPIENS WILL READ THIS BOOK AND EXPERIENCE A GLIMPSE OF THE RACIAL HYSTERIA AND THE CONTRADICTIONS THAT SHAPED OUR EARLY AMERICAN CULTURE0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Peppermint PattiBeing a Thomas; I found this book especially interesting!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great historyBy Phyllis SwainBeing from Augusta GA is what attracted me to this book. My mother in law is a great history buff and an avid diary writer herself. It was the perfect gift for her!
