Let's start with the topic of traveling.  There's a handy-dandy little book on Documenting the American South

"Hill & Swayze's Confederate States Rail-Road & Steam-Boat Guide, Containing the Time-Tables, Fares, Connections and Distances on all the Rail-Roads of the Confederate States; also, the Connecting Lines of Rail-Roads, Steam-Boats and Stages.  And Will Be Accompanied by a Complete Guide to the Principal Hotels, with a Large Variety of Valuable Information, Collected, Compiled and Arranged by J. C. Swayze." 1862.  Yep, that's the whole title, the title's bigger than the book! http://docsouth.unc.edu/imls/swayze/swayze.html

This has proven a very valuable source when my character has had to travel to arrive at a particular location prior to the start of the event, or is making plans to travel during the event, all within the Confederacy, of course.

More to come,

Linda.  

--Last edited by Linda Trent on 2007-11-01 00:06:52 --

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If you should travel through Augusta, beware of a big blustering butcher of a fellow, who collects the stage fare, before you start, for carrying you from one depot to another, and when you arrive at the other, is there again to demand of you still another fare. This game has been practiced to some extent by this same individual, and as he is employed by a monopoly in the omnibus business, there is no retreat from him unless you walk.

Good to know..  

Linda,

From past readings..too long ago..was there not special headware and maybe even clothes form women to wear when they traveled by train. If I remember correctly it was due to the soot etc from the train blowing into the cars etc. Travel in the mid 19th century was not the cleanest by train, coach etc

Okay, I wish to travel from either Lexington, KY or Louisville, Ky to Selma, Alabama. The book says that the train only travels as far as Murfreesbourgh by way of Nashville due to Federals. So which route should I take. This is my first time seeing a train schedule.

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was there not special headware and maybe even clothes form women to wear when they traveled by train.

I haven't run across anything about special clothes for the purpose of the soot and dust, though I have seen "traveling clothes" recommended.  In The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, Fashion and Manual of Politeness, 1860 they recommend the following:

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A lady will always dress plainly when traveling.  A gay dress, or finery of any sort, when in a boat, stage or car, lays a woman open to the most severe misconstruction.  Wear always neutral tints, and have the material made up plainly and substantially, but avoid carefully any article of dress that is glaring or conspicuous.  Above all, never wear jewelry, (unless it be your watch,) or flowers; they are both in excessively bad taste.  A quiet, unpretending dress, and dignified demeanor, will insure for a lady respect, though she travel alone from Maine to Florida.

Bev, you may have to take the cars as far as possible and then obtain stage tickets to connect you with the next train.  When doing McDowell in '03, I was from Wheeling traveling to Lynchburg to visit a sister who was having a difficult pregnancy and was not expected to survive.  I took the cars from Wheeling to Grafton, and at Grafton had to go by stage to Staunton (there was no train over the mountains at that time).  At Staunton I reconnected with the train that carried me on to Lynchburg.

The baby was born, things were nip and tuck for a while with my character's sister; then she showed signs of regaining her health.  News of mounting tensions made my character decide to return to the western counties, but her stage was stopped at McDowell (what a coincidence! ).  Of course this was all made up.

What I like about the train schedules is they give an idea of what towns the train ran through, how long it took to travel, and other such things.  While at Harper's Ferry a year ago I picked up a book that's really interesting and has a lot of primary source accounts of people traveling by train.  It's called "The Railroad Passenger Car: An Illustrated History of the First Hundred Years with Accounts by Contemporary Passengers." by August Mencken.  

I am also currently Xeroxing a book entitled "The Barney & Smith Car Company Car Builders Dayton, Ohio," by Scott D. Trostel.  This book is specific to the Barney car works, but is full of photographs of original cars, parts, and interiors.  Both books make fascinating read, especially since my Barney family of Dayton started the Barney and Smith Car Company and ran it for over 50 years. After my family sold it, the great flood came and destroyed the factory and the company never rebuilt and shut down forever.

Anyone whose characters ever traveled by train should read The Railroad Passenger Car mentioned above.  It is one of the best condensed histories packed with relevent stuff.

Linda  

--Last edited by Linda Trent on 2007-11-02 00:04:36 --

I am not sure how one would get from Murpheesboro to Huntsville (also in Federal hands), but then the journey becomes rather rough.

The Old Huntsville Road fords the Tennessee River near Lacey's Springs, runs across Brindlee Mountain (known to be home to rather rough folks) and thence through Blountsville where there is a fine stage inn.  The route proceeds through Blount Springs (a fashionable watering hole) and thence through Elyton (modern day Birmingham) before turning though Bibb County (another rough place), past Tannehill Iron Works and then into northern Tuskaloosa County (where portions can still be found today).  Fording the Warrior River, the stage road proceeds south through Marion towards Selma.

Alternate routes turn south at Elyton, with the possiblity of catching the cars again near Montevallo, at Bibb Naval Furnace, where there is a direct line to Selma.  This line is normally preempted for munitions travel only, and you will have to exert some influence to obtain passage to the cars via this route.

Of course, vital munitions workers might have a chance to get on that train--Mrs. Trent, should Mr. Trent once again wish to participate in the vital manufacturing processes of munitions for the South, you are both most welcome to join us.  

I believe the weekend is April 19th, and I'll confirm that with the organizer this week.  

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Spinster wrote : Of course, vital munitions workers might have a chance to get on that train--Mrs. Trent, should Mr. Trent once again wish to participate in the vital manufacturing processes of munitions for the South, you are both most welcome to join us.   I believe the weekend is April 19th, and I'll confirm that with the organizer this week.

Tell Tiberius to get his cart ready! If it's truly April 19, Linda has a genealogy conference in Cincinnati that weekend but there's nothing on my schedule.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net  

--Last edited by hanktrent on 2007-11-03 20:06:35 --

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Tell Tiberius to get his cart ready! If it's truly April 19, Linda has a genealogy conference in Cincinnati that weekend  but there's nothing on my schedule.

Okay, you know when Hank gives up three nights in a Sheraton and pork tenderloin (can't be in Cincinnati without a meal of pork!) and other delicacies at the luncheons and dinners, to travel 800+ miles to sleep on the ground, eat salt pork, and collect urine at Selma, he must have had fun!

Linda.  

--Last edited by Linda Trent on 2007-11-04 10:04:49 --

Send him a day earlier than he came last time Linda.  
He can tell that story to school children and get a nice steak dinner in a private home for his trouble.  

Either that, or I'll bring him some salt tenderloin.  

A SUGGESTION FOR TRAVELERS BY THE ERIE RAILROAD.
RAILROAD BRIGAND. " Say, Mister, what's the time o' day by your ticker?"
PASSENGER. "I regret, my friend, that I have no ticker: but I've got a little repeater here that's just ready to strike six!"

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1864/november/train-robbery-cartoon.htm