Part IV

Railroads and the Military

Record Group 77 Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers

IV.1 An act of Congress of March 16, 1802, authorized the President to organize and establish a Corps of Engineers. The military duties of the Office of the Chief of Engineers have included supervision of reconnoitering, surveying, map making, road building, the laying out of camps, the construction and repair of forts, and related duties. The civilian duties of the Corps include the maintenance and improvement of inland waterways and harbors; the formulation and execution of plans for flood control; the operation of certain dams and locks; the approval of plans for construction of bridges, wharves, piers, and other works over navigable waters; supervision of the construction and maintenance of roads in Alaska; and the care of public buildings and grounds in the District of Columbia. Major bodies of records relating to railroads include correspondence relating to railway engineer units and railroad equipment and companies; documentation concerning contracts with railroad companies; and several series of records created by the Director General of Railways from 1917 to 1919, who was responsible for railway operations in France and involved in the sale of railway equipment to Russia. The records are described in the Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Parts I and II, NM 19, except as noted.

IV.2 General correspondence, 1894-1923 (3,041 ft.)(MLR Entry 103, NM 19), is arranged numerically and includes files concerning railroad equipment, companies, shops, tickets, ties, rails, and railways. The series is indexed by the name and subject index to series 103 (322 ft.)(MLR Entry 99, NM 19), which is arranged alphabetically by subject.

IV.3 Contracts, 1866-1928 (205 ft.)(MLR Entry 240, NM 19), is arranged numerically and includes leases of equipment for various railroads, such as the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad and the Atlantic Coast Line, with the Office of the Chief of Engineers. The series is indexed by indexes to contractors (1906-32) named in Series 240 and 242 (4 ft.)(MLR Entry 235, NM 19), which is arranged alphabetically by name of contractor.

IV.4 General correspondence, 1918-45 (441 ft.)(MLR Entry 106B, UD), is arranged according to the War Department decimal classification scheme. The records related to railroads include the following files:

1. File #322 - concerning railway operating battalions, shop battalions, depot companies, and engineers;

2. File #370 - railway accidents;

3 File #453 - railway equipment--including railway engines (file #453.3) and armored cars (file #453.6);

4. File #531 - railway cars--including railroad passenger cars (file #531.1), railroad parlor and sleeping cars (file #531.2), railroad freight cars (file #531.5), train service (file #531.6), and railroad station service (file #531.8);

5. File #551 - transportation rates, schedules, and tariffs;

6. File #554.4 - freight; and

7. File #553.4 - passengers.

IV.5 Security-classified subject files, 1940-45 (443 ft.)(MLR Entry 1011, UD). are arranged alphabetically by subject and thereunder according to the War Department decimal classification scheme. Records relating to railroads include railway units (#320.2) and basic requirements for standard railways (#400.34).

IV.6 General correspondence with or about engineer units, other federal agencies, universities and other institutions, and special projects, 1918-46 (265 ft.)(MLR Entry 1012, UD), is arranged alphabetically by subject. The series includes documentation concerning railway units and the proposed U.S.-Canada-Alaskan Railway.

IV.7 The Office of the Director General of Military Railways, 1917-19, was responsible to the Chief of Engineers to procure personnel, materials, and supplies for Army railroad operations in France. In addition, the Office of the Director General was involved in the sale of rails and rail accessories to Russia and the Russian Railway Service Corps during World War I. There are several series of records created by the Office of the Director General of Military Railways (MLR Entries 429-445, NM 19):

1. general correspondence file, 1917-19;

2. letters and telegrams to and from suppliers of equipment, 1917;

3. two series of the records of Director General James Milliken, including cablegrams relating to railroad supplies and equipment and a personal file relating to the Pennsylvania Railroad, railway engineer regiments, and the recruiting of engineers; and

4. several series of records relating to the selling and transfer of rails and rail accessories belonging to Russia.

IV.8 Cartographic records in the General Records, 1804-1960, include the "Published Record Set," consisting of maps published by the Office of the Chief of Engineers. The maps from the Civil War period show military departments in the Central and Southeastern United States illustrating drainage and topography, roads and railroads, troop positions, and defenses. In addition, the office printed maps of Mexico showing the Mexican National Railroad and a map of Manitoba Province in Canada showing railroad and telegraph lines. The maps from 1890 to 1960 include maps of the United States showing primarily administrative information such as railroad systems and military and priority railroads.

IV.9 The early records in the headquarters map file, 1800-1935, contain, among other subjects, maps from surveys for internal improvements, including surveys for national roads, canals, rivers and harbors, and railroads.

IV.10 In the Records of the Military Division, 1917-41, the records of the Military Construction Section include photoprocessed plans of military reservations in the United States and its territories prepared by the Quartermaster General's Office and annotated to show new or proposed railways, railway facilities, warehouses, highways, and waterways in the reservations.

IV.11 The Army Map Service's war department map collection, 1836-1942, contains maps pertaining to Mexico and the individual states in Mexico including views of the United States-Mexico border area showing communication lines, roads and railroads. Maps pertaining to the Pershing Expedition in 1916 include plans of railroads.

IV.12 Still pictures in this record group include the photographs of district navigation projects, 1900-1948 (77-DP) and photographs from the headquarters, civil works map file, river and harbor improvements (77-H) with pictures of maintenance of railroad bridges in various engineering districts. The photographic albums of Illinois Central photographs of the Mississippi River flood, 1927 (77-IC) depict the activities of employees of the Illinois Central Railroad and the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad in combating the Flood of 1927 on the Mississippi River and the damage done by the flood to the two railroads. There are views of engineers ballasting railroad tracks in the photographs relating to activities of the Corps of Engineers, 1939-40 (77-MLS).

Record Group 92 Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General

IV.13 At the time of the Civil War, the U.S. Army, Office of the Quartermaster General, was responsible for ensuring an ample and efficient system of supply and troop movement for the Army, accountability of officers and agents charged with monies or supplies, and the supply of all commodities and services for the Army. The bulk of the records in this record group relating to railroads used for the supply and troop movements for the U.S. Army are for the Civil War period. Most of the relevant records are the records of the Office of U.S. Military Railroads. The series listed below contain significant information concerning railroads. There is documentation pertaining to railroads scattered among other record series, particularly the correspondence files of the major offices. These records are described in the Preliminary Inventory of the Textual Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, NM-81 (Part I, Headquarters) and NM 85 (Part II, Field Activities).

IV.14 Among the Quartermaster's correspondence for the periods 1871-90 and 1890-1914 are:

1. accounts of the North Carolina Railroad Company in its claim against the United States for transportation costs incurred during the Civil War, 1879 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 75, NM 81), arranged chronologically by enclosure number to file number 842 QMGO 1879;

2. general correspondence, 1890-1914 (8,6123 ft.)(MLR Entry 89, NM 81), arranged numerically and thereunder chronologically. Included are scattered files relating to railroad accounts, cars, companies, equipment, regulations, supplies, and guides. This series is indexed primarily by the subject and name card index to general correspondence (1,152 ft.)(MLR Entry 84, NM 81) which is arranged alphabetically by subject or name. Entries contain references to railroad accounts, cars, companies, equipment, regulations, supplies, and guides.

3. press copies of reports relating to certain railroad claims, 1895 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 116, NM 81), arranged by name of company.

IV.15 The Quartermaster's "special files" subgroup for the period 1794-1926 include a

"consolidated correspondence file," 1794-1890 (1,276 ft.)(MLR Entry 225, NM 81), arranged alphabetically by subject. It includes records of the Adjutant General's Office, the commissary generals of subsistence and purchases, and records of post, department and depot quartermasters. There are records relating to railroads under the subject category "railroads" (boxes 869-871) and under the names of railroad companies.

IV.16 Claims files include:

1. letters sent relating to railroad claims, August 1863-May 1867 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 766, NM 81), arranged chronologically;

2. press copies of letters sent relating to railroad transportation claims, 1863-70 (6 ft.)(MLR Entry 767, NM 81), arranged chronologically;

3. claims registers relating to transportation accounts of railroads, 1861-87 (22 ft.)(MLR Entry 834, NM 81), arranged numerically by volume number. Railroads included are the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad, Central Pacific Railroad, Kansas Pacific Railroad, Sioux City and Pacific Railroad, Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific Railroad, military railroads, and southern indebted railroads.

4. correspondence relating to the accounts of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 1864-81 (5 ft.)(MLR Entry 835, NM 81);

5. abstract of settlements with the Union Pacific Railroad Company, 1867-80 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 836, NM 81); and

6. register of railroad transportation claims, 1898-1900 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 839, NM 81).

IV.17 Files relating to transportation for the period 1834-1917 include such records of the 4th Division,

Rail and River Transportation, as:

1. letters received relating to railroads, 1862 (0.3 ft.)(MLR Entry 1367, NM 81), unarranged;

2. registers of letters received relating to railroads ("Railroad Books"), 1863-67 (0.7 ft) (MLR Entry 1369, NM 81), arranged by time period (books 1-4), thereunder alphabetically by first letter of surname of correspondent, and thereunder generally in chronologically order, with consecutive numbers assigned to each letter of the alphabet. The registers are indexed by the name and subject index to part (November 1865-June 1867) of series 1369, n.d. (0.1 ft)(MLR Entry 1368, NM 81);

3. letters received relating to railroads, 1863-67 (13 ft.)(MLR Entry 1370, NM 81), arranged by time period, thereunder alphabetically by first letter of surname of correspondent, and thereunder generally in chronological order, with consecutive numbers assigned to each letter of the alphabet;

4. letters received relating to various railroad reports requested or received, 1864-65 (0.3 ft.) (MLR Entry 1371, NM 81), arranged by register book number (Railroad Books #1 and #2 in Series 1369);

5. correspondence of the Quartermaster at Baltimore, MD, relating to rates and classifications of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad accounts, 1864-65 (0.1 ft.) (MLR Entry 1372, NM 81), arranged chronologically;

6. letters received relating to freight tariffs and rates of fare, 1862-70 (0.4 ft)MLR (Entry 1377, NM 81), arranged in part alphabetically by railroad;

7. correspondence and other papers of Gen. Lewis B. Parsons relating to the movement of troops and freight, 1864-65 (0.4 ft.)(MLR Entry 1379, NM 81), arranged by subject;

8. correspondence containing instructions, decisions, and orders relating to military railroads, 1862-79 (0.3 ft.)(MLR Entry 1395, NM 81), unarranged. The subject index to this series is subject index to series 1395, n.d. (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1394, NM 81), which is arranged by page number in the correspondence containing instructions, decisions, and orders relating to military railroads, 1862-79 (Entry 1395). Included is a register of documents received in that series.

9. correspondence, circulars, and agreements relating to railroad transportation rates, 1883-1900 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1398, NM 81), arranged generally in chronological order. The volume contains a subject index.

IV.18. Transportation records also include the following files relating to railroads for the period from 1857 to 1908:

1. lists of passenger rates and freight tariffs on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 1857-64 (0.3 ft.)(MLR Entry 1475, NM 81), arranged chronologically;

2. lists and calculations used in preparing a report on the transportation of troops and supplies, 1861 (0.3 ft.) (MLR Entry 1476, NM 81), unarranged;

3. register of decisions relating to the payments to railroads for shipping of freight and passengers, 1861-62 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1477, NM 81), arranged alphabetically by subject or by name of railroad company;

4. freight rates and articles of agreement relating to the carrying of freight, 1864-67 (0.1 ft.)( MLR Entry 1478, NM 81);

5. reports of transportation furnished refugees, prisoners, and persons not in the military service, 1865-69 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 1479, NM 81), unarranged;

6. "Journal" of financial transactions between the Quartermaster Department and the railroad companies for purchases of material from the government, for interest, for mail and troop transportation, and for salaries of U.S. agents and receivers, 1865-1900 (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 1480,NM 81), arranged chronologically by date of transaction. The volumes include name indexes arranged alphabetically by name of railroad company. The information in this series is also entered in the Ledger of Payments by Railroad Companies (Entry 1481).

7. ledger of payments by railroad companies, 1865-1908 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1481, NM 81), arranged by railroad company. The ledger includes a name index arranged alphabetically by name of railroad company. These entries were initially entered in the journal (Entry 1480).

8. local freight tariff of the Central Pacific Railroad Company taking effect on January 1, 1872 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1482, NM 81). This is File #277 QMGO 1872 extracted from the Office of the Quartermaster General, Letters Received, 1819-70.

9. statements received of amounts paid to various western railroads, 1873, 1875-76 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1483, NM 81), arranged chronologically;

10. abstract of accounts of the bond-aided Pacific railroads, 1887-94 (0.3 ft.)(MLR Entry 1484, NM 81), arranged chronologically by fiscal year;

11. register of accounts with railway companies concerned with army transportation, 1891-93 (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 1485, NM 81), arranged chronologically by year and thereunder generally in numerical order by file number; and

12. list of superintendents of railroad companies, n.d. (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1486, NM 81), unarranged. The series consists of an 11-page list.

IV.19 The following paragraphs summarize only the most significant records of the Office of U.S. Military Railroads, 1860-67. For a complete list of series, please consult the preliminary inventory.

IV.20 Records of Headquarters, Office of Military Railroads, Washington, DC, include telegrams sent and received by Capt. R. F. Morley, 1861-62; letters and telegrams sent by Gen. Daniel C. McCallum, 1862; and letters received by the Office of Military Railroads, Washington, DC. The issuances include printed and manuscript orders, circulars, and letters of instructions relating to U.S. Military Railroads, 1861-64. Other records include a history of U.S. Military Railroads, 1862; annual reports of Gen. D.C. McCallum, 1863-65; reports relating to military railroads, 1863-67; lists of men employed by various railroad lines, 1864-65; reports of persons and articles hired, 1863-66; records of specific railroad lines and stations, 1863-65; payrolls; inventories of stores and property on hand, 1863-65; daily reports on condition of engines, 1864-65; material and labor accounts; freight records; registers of arrivals and departures of trains, 1863-65; records of supplies issued and received; U.S. Military Railroad timetables; 1862-64; conductor's reports, 1863-65; and miscellaneous reports (MLR Entries 1507-1587, NM 81).

IV.21 Records of U.S. Military Railroads of Virginia, Alexandria, VA, include letters sent and received and telegrams sent and received by various chief engineers and superintendents and assistant superintendents of construction, dating from 1862 to 1865. General records include messages sent and received, 1862; telegrams sent to railroad conductors and engineers, 1862-64; and correspondence relating to railroads, 1863-65. Records relating to places include letters, messages, and telegrams sent and received to superintendents, engineers, and conductors from such locations as Aquia Creek, Brandy, and, City Point, Virginia; Morehead City, North Carolina; and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, dating from 1863 to 1865. Other records include lists of employees; records of military railroad superintendents; journals of events and periodic reports of operations at Alexandria and City Point, Virginia; registers and periodic reports of movement of engines and cars; registers of cars in service; fiscal records of labor, material, and tools on hand; and registers of supplies received, issued, and on hand, dating from 1862 to 1865. (MLR Entries 1588-1661, NM 81).

IV.22 Records of U.S. Military Railroads, Division of the Mississippi, Nashville, TN, include press copies of letters sent, letters received, telegrams sent and received, and memorandums sent from general managers, superintendents, engineers, machinists, and agents of the U.S. Military Railroads from various locations within the Division of the Mississippi, dating from 1863 to 1865. General correspondence includes telegrams received, and lists of claims filed with the Office of U.S. Military Railroads and related correspondence. Records relating to railroad lines include letters and telegrams sent and received and general and special orders issued by the superintendents of various railroads including the Chattanooga and Atlanta Railroad, Nashville and Bristol Railroad, Nashville and Northwestern Railroad, Nashville and Decatur Railroad, Chattanooga and Kentucky Railroad, and the Nashville, Decatur and Stevenson Railroad, dating from 1863 to 1865. Issuances of the Division include general orders and circulars, dating from 1863 to 1865. Other records of the Division include lists of engineers, firemen, conductors, and discharged employees; registers of employees; card records of civilians employed at Nashville, Tennessee; reports received; records of railroad lines and stations; valuation of government railroad property in Tennessee, 1865; lists of supplies; periodic reports and registers of work done, materials used, and number of employees; periodic journals of events; reports of conductors regarding delays and accidents; and descriptive lists of locomotive engines and boxcars, dating from 1862 to 1865. (MLR Entries 1662-1765, NM 81).

IV.23 Records of U.S. Military Railroads, Division of the Missouri, include the series correspondence, reports, and orders, 1864 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1766, NM 81), arranged by type of record.

IV.24 Records of the Office of Indebted Railroads, 1865-82, include:

1. letters sent, 1871-82 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1768, NM 81), arranged chronologically and indexed by name index to series 1768 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1767, NM 81);

2. press copies of letters sent, November 1865-June 1878 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1769, NM 81), arranged chronologically;

3. registers of letters received, 1867-82 (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 1771, NM 81), arranged chronologically by date of receipt, with consecutive numbers assigned for each year, and indexed by name index to series 1771 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1770, NM 81);

4. letters received, 1867-70, 1876 (0.8 ft.)(MLR Entry 1772, NM 81), unarranged;

5. letters and reports received relating to specific indebted railroads, 1865-79 (20 ft.)(MLR Entry 1773, NM 81), arranged alphabetically by name of railroad, with a schedule of papers for each railroad;

6. letters received, reports, and other papers relating generally to indebted railroads, 1865-79 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 1774, NM 81), arranged generally in chronological order and thereunder numerically by a package number system. The records are incomplete.

7. letters received by Capt. S.R. Hamill, Assistant Quartermaster at Nashville, authorizing him to extend time of payment of indebtedness to railroad companies, 1866-67 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1775, NM 81), arranged chronologically. The series includes a name index to railroad companies.

8. press copies of letters sent by Charles W. Folsom, Receiver for the United States of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad Company and of the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad Company, September-November 1869 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1776, NM 81), arranged chronologically;

9. abstracts of letters and reports received in series 20, 1370, and 1376 relating to indebted southern railroads, 1865-70 (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 1777, NM 81), arranged by name of railroad company and thereunder chronologically. The series includes a name index.

10. lists of monthly credits to various railroad companies, 1867 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1778, NM 81), unarranged;

11. monthly statements of the indebtedness of southern railroad companies, 1869-82 (5 ft.)(MLR Entry 1779, NM 81), unarranged; and

12. register of cash received from indebted railroads, 1870-82 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 1780, NM 81), arranged chronologically.

IV.25 Among the general records of the Office of the Quartermaster General for the period 1909-57, are correspondence files arranged according to the War Department decimal classification scheme. Some of the more important records for railroads include files concerning Railway operating battalions, railway shop battalions, railway depot companies, and railway engineers (file #322); railway accidents (file #370.1); railway equipment (file #453) including railway engines (file #453.3) and armored cars (file #453.6); railway cars (file #531), including railroad passenger cars (file #531.1), railroad parlor and sleeping cars (file #531.2), railroad freight cars (file #531.5), train service (file #531.6), and railroad station service (file #531.8); transportation rates, schedules, and tariffs (file #551); and freight (file 554.4) and passengers (file #553.4). The files consist of:

1. general correspondence, 1917-22 (3,862 ft.)(MLR Entry 1888, NM 81);

2. general correspondence, ("Subject File"), 1922-35 (305 ft.)(MLR Entry 1889, A1);

3. classified and unclassified general correspondence ("Subject File"), 1936-61 (1818 ft.)(MLR Entry 1890, A1). This series is arranged by classified and unclassified date blocks and thereunder according to the War Department decimal classification scheme. There are also records relating to research and development, dating from 1828 to 1854.

4. correspondence relating to transportation ("Commercial" File), 1936-45 (7 ft.)(MLR Entry 1898, A1), arranged in classified and unclassified subseries and thereunder alphabetically by name of transportation company, mainly railroads. The series is composed of War Department decimal number 551, and contains correspondence between the Office of the Quartermaster General and the U.S. Army, Transportation Branch, concerning railroad freight rates, freight weight requirements, and movements of freight trains.

IV.26 Pertinent nontextual records include, among General Records, 1820-1951, a set of published maps including maps of the United States showing military posts and land-grant and bond-aided railroads. "Transportation Service, 1920-21," Includes a diagram showing trunk railroad lines in the United States.

Record Group 109 War Department Collection of Confederate Records

IV.27 The bulk of these records include the records of the Confederate War Department and Army, but there are also records of the Confederate Congress and Executive, the Treasury, Navy, and Post Office Departments, and the Judiciary. After the Civil War, certain related materials of the Federal Government were placed with these records, such as the records of Federal prisons relating to Confederates held prisoner and the records of the Archive Office of the Adjutant General=s Office, which was the earliest custodian of Confederate records. There are scattered records relating to railroads in the correspondence files of the various departments and bureaus of the War Department and Army. Most of the significant files are in the records of the Quartermaster Department and in the records of military commands. The records are described in the Preliminary Inventory of the War Department Collection of Confederate Records, PI 101; and the Guide to the Archives of the Government of the Confederate States of America (1968).

IV.28 The Quartermaster Department, headed by the Quartermaster General, provided quarters and transportation for the Army, storage and transportation for all army supplies, army clothing, camp and garrison equipment, cavalry and artillery horses, fuel, forage, straw, and stationery. In the latter part of 1862, the position of Inspector General of Field Transportation was created within the Department. The duties of this Inspector General were to conserve and control the supply of artillery horses and other means of field transportation. Series related to railroads include the following:

1. record of stores received, 1863-64 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 53, PI 101), arranged chronologically. The volume shows the name of person or firm from which received, by what railroad or other means transported, articles received (mostly wool and leather), and quantity of each article. The railroads mentioned are mostly in Virginia.

2. accounts of the Confederate government with railroads, 1861-65 (5 ft.)(MLR Entry 54, PI 101), unarranged. These are accounts for the transportation of men and supplies, showing name of railroad, date, number of men or quantity of supplies transported, points between which transported, and cost for this service.

Record Group 112 Records of the Office of the Surgeon General (Army)

IV.29 Established in the War Department by an act of April 14, 1818 (3 Stat. 426), regulating the staff of the Army, the Office of the Surgeon General administers the Army Medical Department; provides advice and assistance on medical matters to the Secretary of the Army, the Chief of Staff, and other elements of the Department of the Army; and exercises general oversight and control of all aspects of army health services. The Office's records include documentation concerning hospital trains and the medical uses of railroads, particularly during World War I and World War II. Most of the records are described in the Preliminary Inventory of the Textual Records of the Office of the Surgeon General (Army), NM 20.

IV.30 Correspondence of the War Department's central office for the period 1818-1946 includes:

1. general correspondence, 1894-1917 (830 ft.)(MLR Entry 26, NM 20), arranged chronologically by date spans and thereunder according to the War Department decimal classification scheme. Included are blueprint plans of medical cars in hospital trains--such as side-door patient cars, Pullman cars, and kitchen cars (#453)--and hospital trains and cars (#531). The general correspondence is indexed by the name and subject index to series 26, 1894-1917 (435 ft.)(MLR Entry 23, NM 20), which is arranged alphabetically by subject or name and includes card entries referencing such subjects as hospital trains and railroad accidents.

2. general correspondence, 1917-46 (515 ft.)(MLR Entry 29, NM 20), arranged chronologically in date spans--1917-27, 1928-37, 1938-40, 1941-42, 1943-44, and 1945-46--and thereunder according to the War Department decimal classification scheme. Included are correspondence concerning hospital units (#322.2-5), medical uses of railroads (#453), plans of hospital cars and other railway equipment (#453.1) and hospital cars and trains (#531.4). Significant documents for 1917 through 1927 period include blueprint plans and data concerning hospital cars including interior and exterior plans; photographs and descriptions of Pullman conversion cars, such as Erie, Canadian Pacific, and Western Maryland cars; and domestic prototype cars as well as documentation on the disposition and use of rail cars (#453 & 453.1, boxes 329-330). There are narrative histories, inspection reports, and instructions for operation of hospital trains along with reports concerning hospital trains in France and a history of army hospital trains (#322.2-5, box 169).

3. correspondence with military installations, commands, and units and with civilian organizations ("Geographic File"), 1917-46 (1,765 ft.)(MLR Entry 31, NM 20), arranged chronologically in date spans--1917-27, 1928-37, 1938-44, and 1945-46--and thereunder according to an alphanumeric filing scheme. Correspondence concerning hospital trains is included in the file designation "H." Also included under various file designations are the periodic reports of the medical detachments of railway units and hospital trains. More specifically, significant documentation concerning numbered hospital trains is located in both the general records and the records of the Zone of the Interior (ZI) for the periods 1917 to 1927 and 1938 to 1944. Included in these files are trip reports and narrative histories of the numbered trains.

Record Group 160 Records of Headquarters, Army Service Forces (ASF)

IV.31 Established in the War Department by General Order 14, War Department, March 12, 1943, the Army Service Forces provided services and supplies to meet military requirements except those unique to the Army Air Forces. Its predecessor agency was the Services of Supply (SOS, 1942 to 1943). The records are described in the Preliminary Inventory of the Textual Records of Headquarters Army Service Forces, NM-25. Records relating to railroads include documentation relating to rail traffic control, military troop evacuation by rail, and other military supply and services issues. There are railroad records scattered throughout this record group; however, some of the more significant records are listed below.

IV.32 The Records of the Office of the Commanding General include security-classified correspondence of Lt. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell, 1942-45 (13 ft.)(MLR Entry 1, NM 25), arranged chronologically in two date spans, 1942 to 1944 and 1945, and thereunder alphabetically by subject. Included is a file concerning railroads, dating from 1943 to 1944.

IV.33 The Records of Directors and Divisions Attached to the Office of the Commanding General,

Control Division, 1940-46, include the following series:

1. general correspondence, 1942-46 (147 ft.)(MLR Entry 81, NM 25), arranged chronologically in date spans 1942 to 1944, 1942 to 1946, and 1945 to 1946 and thereunder according to the War Department decimal classification scheme. Included is documentation concerning railroads in decimals #453 and #531.

2. security-classified reports and studies relating to the organization, procedures, and operations of the Services of Supply and the Army Service Forces, 1942-45 (8 ft.)(MLR Entry 84, NM 25), arranged numerically. A list of titles is listed in Appendix I of the preliminary inventory. The series contains unnumbered reports. These reports include "Rail Evacuation Actions, 1942-43," and "Operating Procedures for Rail Traffic Control, August 1942."

Record Group 165 Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs

IV.34 The War Department General Staff was established by an act of February 14, 1903, to create a separate and distinct staff organization with supervision over most of the branches of the military service, both line and staff. The General Staff gathered information and to prepared plans for the national defense and mobilization of the military forces in time of war. The General Staff also investigated and reported on all questions affecting the efficiency of the Army and its state of preparation for military operations. Included is intelligence information concerning railroads in Canada, Mexico, and the United States during the World Wars, such as railroad conditions, activities, equipment, and construction. The records are described in the Preliminary Inventory of the Textual Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs, NM 84.

IV.35 The records of the Office of the Director of Intelligence, G-2, include the series security-classified reference publications received from U.S. military attaches, military and civilian government agencies, foreign governments, and other sources ("Military Intelligence Division, G-2, Regional Files"), 1933-44 (1,225 ft.)(MLR Entry 77, NM 84), arranged alphabetically by country or region and thereunder according to a numerical filing scheme developed by the Military Intelligence Division. The records consists of various types of documentation compiled by the Military Intelligence Division concerning a variety of subjects pertinent to military intelligence information. Important numerical designations concerning railroads include 4330 (Manufacture of Road and Railroad Transportation Equipment), 4500 (Transportation, General), 4510 (Railway Transportation, General), 4520 (Railway Network, General and Strategic), 4530 (Individual Systems or Lines), and 4540 (Operation and Equipment). The G-2 Regional File for Canada (boxes 372-373) includes documentation concerning Canadian railroads in general (4500); steam railways and railway traffic (4510); railroad maps, timetables, and other materials for the Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, and the Alaska, White Pass, and Yukon Railway (4520); and the railway rolling stock industry (4540). The Regional File for Mexico (boxes 2495-97) includes records concerning the railroad crisis (4500); Government information regarding railroads and reports of Mexican railroad conditions, 1938 to 1942 (4520); railroad construction, railroad equipment, a report on the vulnerable points of Mexican railroads, and reports, maps and charts, concerning conditions on the National Railway of Mexico (4530). The small amount of material concerning the United States includes an MIS report regarding the Industrial Intelligence Survey, Wartime Railway Accidents vs. Sabotage, 1942 (box 3214).

IV.36 The cartographic records in this record group include:

1. maps of Mexico showing railroads, in the Personnel Division (G-1), Geographic Branch, 1927-46; and

2. maps of the United States showing railroads and maps of Mexico including general maps, railroad maps and an index to railroad maps, in the Organization and Training Division (G-3), War College Division, 1911-17;

IV.37 Still pictures in the record group include the 19th-century Prints, Brady and Quartermaster Photographic Prints, and Other Civil War Views, 1897 (165-ABC) that contain the War Department collections of Civil War period photographs. There are images of such items as military railroads, dating from 1861 to 1870. Many of these photographs were taken by Mathew Brady, Andrew J. Russell, Sam A. Cooley, George N. Barnard, and S. R. Seibert. A Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War by Alexander Gardner (165-SB) includes pictures of the railroads of the Union Army of the Potomac. Other wartime photographs include the American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917-1918 (165-WW), which contains photographs showing the industries of war including railroads.

IV.38 For railroads outside the continental United States, photographs include stereographs showing U.S. soldiers, American Indians, forts, ships, and railroads, among other subjects, in the United States, ca. 1865-1909 (165-XS); and an album containing photographic prints and maps showing harbors, railroads, and bridges in Canada. This album is part of an 1890 reconnaissance report by Lt. A.S. Rowan, 15th U.S. Infantry, on areas in Canada between Lake of the Woods and Calgary (165-CPM). Also, there are six albums of photographic prints showing Mexican villages and transportation facilities, including railroads, bridges, roads, and tunnels. These albums accompanied reconnaissance reports from Army officers, dating between1904 and 1911 (165-MR). Also included are photographic prints showing Mexican Pacific Railway bridges, dating from 1907 to 1908 (165-MPR). Finally, there is a collection of negatives for Cuban Railroads, dated 1900 (165-RRC), which shows various views of railroad tracks, trains, and handcars in Cuba.

Record Group 336 Records of the Office of the Chief of Transportation

IV.39 Established in the Services of Supply, War Department, to head the Transportation Division, effective March 9, 1942, by Circular 59, War Department, March 2, 1942, the Office of the Chief of Transportation assumed functions from the Office of the Quartermaster General and the War Department General Staff. The Office of the Chief of Transportation provided transportation services and logistical support to the U.S. Army. Administration and supervision of military railroads and information-gathering activities concerning foreign and domestic railroads were among the major functions of the Office of the Chief of Transportation.

IV.40 Among the general records of the Office of the Chief of Transportation are:

1. organization planning files, 1942-48 (10 ft.)(MLR Entry 1, A1), arranged by subject. Included are documentation concerning the Military Railway Service Division, Transportation Corps Railroad Repair Shops, and transfer of activities and functions of military railways from the Corps of Engineers to the Transportation Corps. There is a folder list available for this series.

2. historical program files, 1940-50 (314 ft.)(MLR Entry 2, A1), arranged by subject. The series includes documentation relating to Training Division--Rail; Rail Division--seizure of railroads, 1943 and 1946, hospital, tank, and mortuary cars; railway shop battalions; operation of military railroads; reports concerning foreign railways; Association of American Railroads equipment programs, Car Service Division Reports, Port Bulletins and Reports and other correspondence; Military Railway Service Division; capacities of ports and Western railroads; manpower shortages; Mexican railways; antitrust actions; freight crisis of 1945; Railroad Retirement Board, equipment; locomotives for Russia; and Office of the Quartermaster General records relating to railroads. There is a folder list available for this series.

IV.41 The general correspondence files in this record group are arranged according to the War Department decimal classification scheme. Some of the more important records for railroads include files concerning railway operating battalions, railway shop battalions, railway depot companies, and railway engineers (file #322); and railroad passenger cars (file #531.1), railroad parlor and sleeping cars (file #531.2), railroad freight cars (file #531.5), train service (file #531.6), and railroad station service (file #531.8). These series do not have a master location register number.

IV.42 Other series that contain records relating to railroads include miscellaneous series, 1941-46 (29 ft.); formerly security-classified miscellaneous series, 1941-46 (30 ft.); general correspondence, 1941-46 (218 ft.); formerly security-classified general correspondence, 1941-46 (108 ft.); geographic series, 1941-46 (149 ft.); and formerly security-classified geographic series, 1941-46 (137 ft.), arranged by date period (1941-42, 1943, 1944-46), thereunder by name of city, and thereunder by the U.S. Army Decimal Filing System.

IV.43 Records of the Transportation Corps Board, Fort Eustis, Virginia include:

1. research and development project files, 1943-50 (7 ft.)(MLR Entry 58, UD), arranged by project number and including research and development projects concerning locomotives, crane cars, and other railroad equipment; and

2. subject files, 1943-48 (0.6 ft.)(MLR Entry 58, UD), arranged by subject. The series includes a folder concerning internal combustion locomotives.

Record Group 373 Records of the Defense Intelligence Agency

IV.44 Established in the Department of Defense (DOD) as an interservice agency by DOD Directive 5105.21, August 1, 1961, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) produces and disseminates defense intelligence, reviews and coordinates intelligence functions retained by or assigned to military departments, and supervises the execution of all DOD general intelligence functions. Railroad lines, including trackage and structure, can be traced using aerial photography produced by the DIA.

IV.45 The cartographic records of DIA's Central Imagery Processing and Reference Division produced the series aerial photographs, 1939-61, arranged by number assigned by NARA, and consisting of vertical and oblique sequential photographic negatives in roll format. The photographic missions were flown by the U.S. Air Force and its predecessors and the U.S. Navy for use in military reconnaissance and mapping projects. Scales of film vary from large scale (1:10000) to small scale (1:60000). These photographs are indexed using film overlays. Both urban and rural areas of the United States are represented with emphasis on photography of the coastal and navigable inland waterways, military installations, and airfields. Railroad lines throughout the period are clearly covered in the photographs, including the trackage and structures along the rights-of-way. Comparisons of the railroad trackage and structures can be made using film from different dates. For example, the Alexandria, Virginia, yard and roundhouse (since abandoned) on the Southern Railway are clearly shown in the 1945 film. Coverage of other areas outside the United States is limited to the World War II time period.

Record Group 393 Records of the United States Army Continental Commands, 1821-1920

IV.46 The commands were divided into departments, districts, and divisions, the names of which changed frequently over time. They had jurisdiction over posts, camps, stations, forts, and Regular Army units operating within the command. During the Civil War, departments had jurisdiction over, among other units, railroad defenses. Many of the series of records relating to railroads are part of the records of the quartermaster of the various organizational units. Listed below are typical examples of records relating to railroads in this record group. The records are listed in the Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the United States Army Continental Commands, 1821-1920, PI 172, volumes 1-4.

IV.47 Examples from PI 172, volume 1, Geographical Divisions and Departments and Military (Reconstruction) Districts, include:

1. letters sent and received relating to railroads, November 1865-September 1866 (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 2397, PI 172, Vol. 1), among the records of the Quartermaster, Middle Department and 8th Army Corps (P), 1861-66;

2. railroad transportation, 1890-92 (0.4 ft.)(MLR Entry 2831, PI 172, vol. 1), among the records of the Quartermaster, Department of the Missouri (P), 1861-98;

3. press copies of letters and endorsements sent relating to the railroad passenger business, 1906-07 and 1910 (0.2 ft.)(MLR Entry 3048, PI 172, vol. 1), among the records of the Quartermaster, Department of the Missouri (P), 1898-1913;

4. reports of trains passing through posts, 1867 (0.3 ft.)(MLR Entry 3767, PI 172, vol. 1). among the Headquarters Records of the Department of the Platte, 1866-98;

5. records of vouchers of the Union Pacific Railway Company for transportation of government troops and freight, 1874-89 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 3918, PI 172, vol. 1), among the records of the Quartermaster, Department of the Platte, 1866-98;

6. railway transportation correspondence relating to personnel, finance, equipment, and leases, 1916-17 (0.3 ft.)(MLR Entry 4462, PI 172, vol. 1), among the records the Engineer, Southern Department, 1913-20; and

7. intelligence reports relating to railroads, ca. 1917 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 5671, PI 172, vol. 1), from the records ofthe Western Division and Department (P), 1911-20, Field Records, U.S. Troops, Calexico, California.

IV.48 Examples from PI 172, Volume 2I, Polyonymous Successions of Commands, 1861-70, include:

1. the letters, telegrams, and endorsements sent; letters and telegrams received; and general and special orders issued by the Memphis and Charleston Railroad Defenses, District of North Alabama, September 1864-May 1865; (MLR Entries 804-811, PI 172, vol. 2);

2. letters received by troops on the Tennessee and Alabama Railroad, 1865 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 3013, PI 172, vol. 2), among the records of the U.S. Forces for Defenses of the Tennessee and Alabama Railroad, Department of the Cumberland (Johnson), May 1864-December 1864;

3. the letters sent, registers of letters received and general and special orders issued by the U.S. Forces on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, Department of the Cumberland (Gilfillan), October 1864-March 1865 (MLR Entries 3048-3050, PI 172, vol. 2);

4. the letters, endorsements, and telegrams sent, register of letters received, and general and special orders issued by the Defenses of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, Tullahoma, Tennessee, Department of the Cumberland (Milroy), June 1864-April 1865 (MLR Entries 3052-3070, PI 172, vol. 2);

5. the letters and telegrams sent, and general and special orders issued and received by the Railroad Brigade, Army of the Potomac (Robinson, Miles), November 1861-March 1862; Railroad Brigade, Middle Department (Miles), March 1862-July 1862; and Railroad Brigade, 8th Army Corps (Miles), July 1862-September 1862 (MLR Entries 4931-4934, PI 172, vol. 2); and

6. scattered references to transportation orders issued by the various organizational units as well as correspondence relating to transportation of supplies.

Record Group 407 Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917-

IV.49 Established in the War Department under the direction of the Chief of Staff, by General Order 46, War Department, March 4, 1907, the Adjutant General's Office provided administrative and support services to the War Department and, after 1947, to the Department of the Army. Among other functions, the office oversaw the army personnel statistical and accounting system, records management program, publications, historical activities, and special and heraldic services. The records of the Adjutant General's Office include the historical records of the U.S. Army transportation units, such as the railway units and the hospital train units, during World War II and the Korean War.

IV.50 Among the "Reports Relating to World War II and Korean War Combat Operations" are World War II operations reports, 1940-48 (8,219 ft), arranged according to a classification scheme devised by the Departmental Records Branch, Office of the Adjutant General. This scheme is based on the organization of the Department of the Army's combat forces during World War II. It falls into three general categories of units: theaters and their major commands; organic units composed of army groups, armies, corps, and divisions; and nonorganic units composed of nondivisional arms and service troops. For each group, there is a coding scheme peculiar to the type of unit, i.e. army, corps, division, or regiment, and a four-letter code for the nonorganic units. Thereunder, the records are arranged by unit numerical designation and echelon; there is a decimal code for the various subject types of general historical and operational reports extant. For example, the collection of historical reports of the 729th Railway Operating Battalion is designated "TCBN-729-0.1." These records consists of the unit histories of all U.S. Army organizations that existed during World War II that were submitted to the Office of the Adjutant General. These histories consisted of after-action reports, unit and staff journals, general and special orders, and other supporting documentation. Among the nonorganic records are the unit histories of the transportation units. These include railway operating battalions, railway grand divisions, railway shop battalions hospital train maintenance platoons, and railhead groups. Most of these units served overseas, but they were formed in the United States. Many of the personnel from these units were recruited from the employees of the nation's railroad companies.