Customer Reviews

Vital Rails: The Charleston & Savannah Railroad and the Civil War in Coastal South Carolina

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This is an excellent book and a great contribution to preserving the railroading and Civil War history of South Carolina. However, it includes an error (which is only tangential to the whole story, by the way) in Chapter 18 related to the abandoned rail bed that runs through the Links golf course at Stono Ferry. The historic sign erected on the course and Dr. Stone's writing relative to that sign indicate that the railroad was the one associated with the book - The Charleston & Savannah. In fact, the rail bed at the Links was built by the Seaboard Air Line Railway (SAL) in 1917, not by C & S in the 1850s, to complete their coastal route from Hamlet, NC, to Charleston to Savannah. It was SAL's Carolina Division, Charleston Subdivision. When it was built, the C & S route, which runs parallel 1.5 miles to the northwest, was operated by the Atlantic Coastline Railroad (ACL), a direct competitor of SAL. The SAL line ran south through Lobeco, Coosaw, Pitchard and Levy and crossed Hutchinson Island into Savannah. Through service ended in 1971 when the lift bridge at Savannah was destroyed by a ship collision. All service ended in 1977 and all the tracks were removed by 1982. The route can easily be seen and traced using Google Earth. SAL was not the C & S. The sign and the book are incorrect and efforts are now underway to remedy the matter. This error, which may not be attributed originally to Dr. Stone, does not detract from the value of his book, however, which otherwise is extremely well done and most interesting. The book is essential reading for both Civil War buffs and for rail fans exploring the railroading history of the south.

Vital Rails documents the very fascinating history of the Charleston & Savannah Railroad throughout the Civil War to the modern era. It provides the reader with insight into the military significance of not only this but of railroads in general. It cites the military units involved in the various battles along the railroad and includes several maps, but, unfortunately, many are illegible or lack detail needed to identify specific locations. Most interesting is that the railroad's opening celebration coincided with the beginnings of secession and that this event may have actually enabled South Carolina to secede. It is must reading for anyone interested in the Civil War or military history.

My dad gave me this book as a Christmas present this year, and I was blown away. The research and dedication that went into producing this work must have been staggering. The book itself is gorgeous, and the maps and diagrams contained within are just as impressive.

For anyone interested in either railroads in the South or how the transport system played a part in the Civil War, this book is a must have.