Tag: Wright (William W.)

Wikipedia says: William Wierman Wright (July 27, 1824 – March 9, 1882) was a well known nineteenth century American railroad engineer and civil engineer. He was born in York Springs, Pennsylvania.

…In May 1862, Wright along with Eben C. Smeed, I.B. Nevins, G. F. spear, W.R Fulton, and Samuel Longmand was recruited by Herman Haupt as a civilian foreman to help rebuild the Fredericksburg railroad from Aquia Creek.

In September of that year, Wright was ordered by Haupt to take charge of Cumberland Valley Railroad operations along with another Western Division civil engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad, Joseph D. Potts (1829-1893).

In November 1862, Wright was assigned by Haupt as Chief Engineer and Superintendent of Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad to rebuild the wharves at Acquia creek as well as fifteen miles of the railroad to Fredericksburg, Virginia controlled by the Union army with Adna Anderson acted as chief engineer of construction. After rebuilding the bridges and wharves for the road, Wright was forced to abandon Acquia creek on September 6, 1862, due to Lee’s victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run. Wright returned to Acquia creek in November 1862 while Lee had destroyed the railroad line from its terminus at Acquia creek all the way to Fredericksburg. Wright rebuilt the road again but was forced to again abandon the railroad in June 1863 when Lee’s advance to Gettysburg forced Union forces to retreat from their Fredericksburg positions. Wright left the military railroad and returned home to Pennsylvania.

In December 1863, Wright rejoined the U.S. Military Railroad construction corps. Over the next four months, Wright mobilized a workforce of two thousand men and numerous military engineer units such as the Virginia Construction Corps of three hundred men, 1st Regiment Missouri Volunteer Engineers under Colonel Henry Flad, 1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Engineers and Mechanics under Colonel William Power Innes, and the 12th and 13th regiments of the United States Colored Troops.