The Cumberland Valley Railroad in the Civil War – Civil War Days Presentation

Presentation with Cooper Wingert & Scott Mingus on their new book “Targeted Tracks: The Cumberland Valley Railroad in the Civil War, 1861-1865”

The Civil War was the first conflict in which railroads played a major role. Although much has been written about their role in general, little has been written about specific lines. The Cumberland Valley Railroad, for example, played an important strategic role by connecting Hagerstown, Maryland to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Its location enhanced its importance during some of the Civil War’s most critical campaigns. Despite the line’s significance to the Union war effort, its remarkable story remains little known.