After the Civil War by James Robertson

Author:James Robertson [Robertson, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4262-1571-1
Publisher: National Geographic Society
Published: 2015-10-27T04:00:00+00:00

GRENVILLE MELLEN DODGE

LAYING THE TRACKS FOR EXPANSION

JAY GOULD OWNED the Union Pacific Railroad, but the man most responsible for its creation was Massachusetts native Grenville Mellen Dodge. A Union general under Grant in war, and a confidant of Sherman in peace, Dodge lived longer and had a more active and varied life than any other prominent general in the Civil War. Indeed, his work on America’s first transcontinental railroad outshines any of his fighting.

After graduating from Norwich University, Dodge put his civil engineering studies to practice by moving to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and surveying for the infant Union Pacific Railroad. With the onset of the Civil War, he began as colonel of the Fourth Iowa and advanced steadily through the army’s chain of command. While stationed in Missouri, Dodge organized an intelligence service to gain information on enemy movements. His 100-man Corps of Scouts was the largest intelligence-gathering body in the war, and the agents were so effective that their names still remain unknown today.

In late 1862, at Grant’s request, Dodge rebuilt a vital rail line connecting Nashville, Tennessee, with Decatur, Alabama. He rose to the rank of major general after being cited for gallantry during the campaign for Atlanta. With a full head of hair parted on the side and a bushy mustache and eyebrows, Dodge stood five feet eight inches tall and weighed only 125 pounds. He was an energetic man, nervous and high-strung. He spoke and wrote as if he could barely wait to finish his tasks.

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