Raleigh and Gaston Railroad.

Quantity. Rate. Total

cost.

Iron rails.......tons.. 12 $120 per ton $1,440.00

Chairs.........pounds.. 605 8 cents per 48.40

pound

Spikes..........do.. 905 8 1/2 cents 76.92

per pound

Total........ .... ........ 1,565.32

recapitulation of cost of material used and labor performed for construction and maintenance of way on the U. S. military railroads in the Department of North Carolina.

Name of road. From - To - Length. Brid-

ges

built

by

Gover

n-

ment.

Miles. Lin.

feet.

Atlantic and Morehead Goldsborough 95 1,288

North Carolina. City

Wilmington and Wilmington ..do.. 85 879

Weldon.

North Carolina. Goldsborough Hillsborough 88 564

Raleigh and Raleigh Cedar Creek 25 532

Gaston.

Total .... ... 293 3,263

Track laid by Government.

Name of From - To - Main Sid- Total.

road. Track. ings.

Miles. Miles Miles.

.

Atlantic and Morehead Goldsbo- 17.68 4.78 22.46

North City rough

Carolina.

Wilmington Wilmington ..do.. .26 .20 .46

and Weldon.

North Goldsbo- Hillsbo- 7.30 .32 7.62

Carolina. rough rough

Raleigh and Raleigh Cedar .10 .05 .15

Gaston. Creek

Total .... .... 25.34 5.35 30.69

Cost.

Name of From To - Materials. Labor. Total.

road. -

Atlan- More- Golsb $234,675.00 $362,366.30 $597,041.00

tic and head o-

North City rough

Caro-

lina.

Wilmin Wilmi ..do.. 5,215.00 105,028.05 110,243.05

g-ton ngton

and

Weldon.

North Golds Hillsb 80,832.50 162,433.86 243,266.36

Carolin bor- orough

a. ough

Raleigh Rale- Cedar 1,565.32 12,000.00 13,565.32

and igh Creek

Gaston.

Total ... ... 322,287.82 641,828.21 964,116.03

GENERAL REMARKS.

The Construction Corps was an organizing created by the necessities of the service. At the beginning of the war no one anticipated the important part that railroads were to play in the various military movements, and it was not until the spring of 1862 that the military railroad organization began to assume a useful shape. The first construction corps was composed of soldiers and was employed in opening the railroad from Aquia Creek to Fredericksburg, and afterward on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. it was soon found, however, that soldiers were not well suited to this kind of service, and in their stead a small force of skilled civilian mechanics and laborers were employed. It was attempted, in the first place, to arm and drill these men, but after a time this was abandoned, as experience showed that men could nor fight and work to advantage at the same time. The value and importance of this working corps was becoming fully known in the East when you took charge of the military railroads in the Southwest. You directed a portion of them to be sent to that