Portal:American Civil War/Selected event/10

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The Richmond and Danville Railroad was chartered in Virginia in the United States in 1847. The portion between Richmond and Danville, Virginia was completed in 1856. The railroad was only 140 miles long during the American Civil War but it played a vital role in linking Richmond to the rest of the Confederacy. Known as the "first railroad war," the Civil War left the South's railroads and economy devastated. When the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad was cut in 1864, the R&D's connection with the Piedmont Railroad was the only remaining connection from Richmond to the rest of the South.

After the war, it grew to become the Richmond and Danville Railroad System, eventually covering 3,300 miles (5,300 km) in 9 states. In 1894, the R&D became part of the Southern Railway Company. In 1980, it became part of today's Norfolk Southern Railway.