Summary of cost.

Materials:

Purchases made by Captain Ruger........................ $153,881.51

Iron rails, chairs, and spikes purchased by

Lieutenant-Colonel Cross............................. 302,397.61

Spikes other than above, 100,000 pounds, at 8 1/2

cents per pound...................................... 8,500.00

Cross-ties, 50,000, at 50 cents per tie................ 25,000.00

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Total.................................................. 489,779.12

Labor:

Amount paid by Captain Ruger................$358,104.17

Amount paid by U. S. Military Railroad

Department................................ 440,725.56

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798,829.73

Contract work on bridges............................... 182,789.11

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Total..................................................1,471,397. 96

In the above no estimate is made for the value of work done by the soldiers. I have been informed that an amount of iron belonging to this company was used on other military railroads prior to 1865, but have made no deduction for the same, as I have no means of giving full and accurate information of operations previous to that time. The Nashville and Northwestern Railroad was relinquished as a military road and turned over to the company September 1, 1865.

THE CHATTANOOGA AND ATLANTA

Or Western and Atlantic Railroad extends from Chattanooga to Atlanta, 136 miles, with a branch from Kingston to Rome seventeen miles long. The reconstruction and maintenance of this line was in many respects most difficult and interesting of any military railroad operation during the war. By it the Confederate army under General Johnston made their retreat from Buzzard Roost to Atlanta, and upon its rapid and prompt reconstruction General Sherman's army depended for the supplies necessary for his successful movement on Atlanta. As Johnston fell back from one strong position to another he did such damage to the road as it was supposed would delay or prevent Sherman's pursuit, but in no instance was he successful in this object. However great the damage done, it was so speedily repaired that General Sherman soon ceased to fear any delay from this cause and made his advance movements with perfect confidence that the railroad in his rear would be "all right." Being from the nature of the case entirely ignorant of the obstacles to be encountered at each advance, the construction force had to be prepared for any emergency, either to build a bridge of formidable dimensions or lay miles of track, or perhaps push back to some point on the line and repair damages done by guerrillas or raiding parties. These attacks on the line to the rear were of such frequent occurrence, and often of so serious a character, that to insure speedy repairs it became necessary to station detachments of the Construction Corps at various proad, and also collect supplies of construction materials, such as iron rails, chairs, spikes, cross-ties, and bridge timber, at points where they would be comparatively safe and easily obtained when required. These precautionary measures proved of the utmost importance in keeping the road open. The detachments stationed along the line were composed of bridge-builders and track-layers, and had an ample supply of tools for either kind of work. Each detachment was under the command of a competent engineer or supervisor, who had orders to move in either direction, within certain limits, as soon as a break