Battleground: Accounting and Reporting Issues of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad During the American Civil War

• In Event: History, Gender Issues & Public Interest

Abstract

At the beginning of the Civil War, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was in an unenviable geographic position with half the railroad right of way in Northern territory and half in the South. In 1861, Confederate forces destroyed much of the central section of the main line and confiscated or destroyed all rail assets in the battleground area. The accounting and reporting issues relating to cost of the repairs and the operational implications of the accounting process are identified and explained in this unique analysis of original source materials. The strategy and ‘going concern’ assumptions of the railroad are identified as a key factors in achieving its success during the war.

Authors

• Jan Heier, Faulkner University

• Gary John Previts, Case Western Reserve University

• Robert Russ, Northern Kentucky University