The U.S. Military Railroad (USMRR) is established by the the United States War Department as a separate agency to operate any rail lines seized by the government during the American Civil War.
The United States Congress authorizes President Abraham Lincoln to seize control of the railroads and telegraph for military use in January 1862.
In practice, however, the USMRR restricts its authority to Southern rail lines captured in the course of the war.
As a separate organization for rail transportation the USMRR is one of the predecessors of the modern United States Army Transportation Corps.
