Rail Travel in the Civil War

[MaddieM]

Can anyone tell me about that? What was it like, getting from one end of the country to the other? What were the trains like, the carriages and sleeping and sanitary arrangements? Was there a first class? I'm wondering if it was hellish or heaven to travel by train back in those days.

[Jim Page]

Maddie, I'm sure you've read Twain's Roughing It, which describes as only Twain could, traveling by stage coach in the 1860s. I suppose that, compared to a stage coach, rail travel must have seemed wonderful!

--Jim

[BettyO]

In the 1860s train travel was not much better.....

There was no accommodation for sleeping as far as I know; no real "First Class" as we know it - no meals etc....it was pretty rough all around..

[RJNorton]

it was pretty rough all around..

This was one of the most important reasons the Lincolns did not take their beloved dog, Fido, to Washington in 1861. It was felt Fido might not survive the long train ride from Springfield to Washington. So they left Fido with another family in Springfield and departed for the White House without him.

[Gene C]

Mr Lincoln also knew the noise and the crowds would be a problem of additional stress. I'm just a simple creature of habit. While I have good social skills and love to play, I am wary of strangers. Also very protective of my family, especially Willie and Tad. This trip and later in Washington would be constant contact with strangers. I was better off staying in Springfield with a good family.

Fido

[MaddieM]

Maddie, I'm sure you've read Twain's Roughing It, which describes as only Twain could, traveling by stage coach in the 1860s. I suppose that, compared to a stage coach, rail travel must have seemed wonderful!

--Jim

No, I haven't read that. I've tried searching on the internet for any information about this era of train travel but it's woefully lacking.

[Jim Page]

No, I haven't read that.

Maddie, you would probably greatly enjoy reading that book. Twain was such a cynical observer and was a brilliant writer. Here's a link to the book online:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3177/3177-h/3177-h.htm

His description of a rabbit or coyote breaking the sound barrier as it ran is one I can't imagine a person of that time writing. How he knew that running that fast would cause a cracking noise in the atmosphere is beyond me.

--Jim

[MaddieM]

In my quest for information I came upon this....

CORNCOBS!!!!

http://encyclopedia.toiletpaperworld.com...ilet-paper

[BettyO]

Oh yes.....and that's an old southern/rural joke!!

Everyone knows about corncobs and leaves!

Great site, Maddie - thanks!

[Laurie Verge]

This is a tad crude, but seems appropriate here: Most of us know that there were numerous pages missing from Booth's little date book (usually called his "diary") when found upon his body. We can account for two of the pages from the statements made by Dr. Richard Stuart and his wife.

One time on a Booth Escape Route Tour, however, one of the participants suggested what happened to the rest of the missing papers. Ahem, we do know that Booth and Herold were on the lam for a considerable amount of days -- and the body still continues to function without the benefits of an outhouse....

Sounds like a reasonable possibility to me, but not half as intriguing as surmising who cut those crucial pages with a full list of Booth's accomplices - from Johnson and Stanton on down -- inscribed on them.

[Gene C]

This conversation is leaving me feeling a little "flushed"

[Jim Page]

Laurie's post reminds me of the old golfing joke about the fellow who was told to use a dollar bill as toilet paper when out on the course. After he disappeared into the woods adjacent to the course, he was heard to ask, "Anyone got change for a twenty?!?!??!"

--Jim