Our train ran all night, except for two or three times when
we were standing on some sidetrack. Arriving at the foot of the Cumberland
mountains our train was divided and another engine put on to pull one-half the
train up the mountains. The train moved up very slowly, which gave us a chance
to get off and cut some sassafras bushes, which we nailed on the sides of the
cars for shade, for the sun was terribly hot, and the weather was very sultry.
By noon we reached the top of the mountains. At 4 p. m. we arrived at Grafton,
Virginia, where we received hot coffee from the Sanitary Commission. Here we
left the Baltimore & Ohio road for Parkersburg, Virginia, over the Ohio
& Virginia Railroad. We passed through a great many tunnels between Grafton
and Parkersburg, one being four thousand one hundred and thirty-eight feet
long. The citizens along our route today seemed to be very loyal, cheering us
all along the way. It reminded us of our home folks.
Source: Alexander G. Downing, Edited by Olynthus B.,
Clark, Downing’s Civil War Diary, p. 281
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