While railroads and wagons needed to be, they were not regarded by the Southern higher direction of the War Between the States (the Rebellion) as an integrated mechanism upon which victory in modern war depended. The nature of the Southern people was such that they saw battle as the object, whereas given their advantage of internal lines, they should have adapted a Vaubanian series of defensive strong points with mobile forces in between based on railheads. Railroads in the South in 1861 were of many gauges, of limited rolling stock, and running on lightweight bar-iron track on unballasted ties. Though ticketed-through passengers could travel from one line to another, cars could not, so all freight had to be transshipped at terminal junctions. Private property and profit, together with states' rights, militated against efficiency once war began. Yet the vision of a through service from New York City via Norfolk, Virginia, to New Orleans was proposed in April 1861 but, for various reasons, never started.
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