more circuitous route through Farmville in response to financial incentives from the community, the railroad constructed the famous 21 span High Bridge across the Appomattox River valley about east of Farmville. The structure was long and as high as in the center, one of the largest in the world when built. The Southside Railroad was completed to Percival Island across the James River from Lynchburg in 1854. Also in 1854, the Southside Railroad acquired the long City Point Railroad. It had been purchased by the City of Petersburg in 1847, and renamed Appomattox Railroad. Paralleling the Appomattox River from Petersburg to its confluence with the James River at City Point, the City Point Railroad provided an ideal link for the Southside Railroad to reach a deep water steamship connection on the navigable portion of the larger river. Connections and stations South Side Railroad Stations City Point Spur (Formerly City Point Railroad) 9 Petersburg to Shops Spur 1 Main Line Sutherland's Ford's Wilson's (Water stop) Wellville Blacks & Whites Nottoway Burkeville (Junction with the Richmond and Danville Railroad) Rice's High Bridge Farmville Prospect Pamplin's Evergreen Appomattox Spout Spring Concord Lynchburg By late 1860, the Southside Railroad provided connections with the following other transportation entities: Petersburg Petersburg Railroad extending south to Weldon, North Carolina Richmond and Petersburg Railroad extending north to Richmond Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad (after Sept. 1858) extending east to Suffolk and Norfolk Burkeville Richmond and Danville Railroad northeast to Richmond, southwest to Danville Lynchburg James River and Kanawha Canal east to Richmond, building west Virginia and Tennessee Railroad west to Salem and Bristol and connections south and west extending all the way to New Orleans Orange and Alexandria Railroad northeast through the Piedmont to Charlottesville and Alexandria American Civil War The Southside Railroad from Petersburg west was a vital resource for the Confederacy as a supply line for Richmond and Petersburg during the American Civil War (1861–1865). Beyond the lines of battle until the war's last year, the principal damage it suffered was the financial weakness caused by Confederate compensation policies and currency. The Confederate States Army destroyed most of the rail around Petersburg. Half of the eight mile City Point Railroad, was completely removed and another two miles was beyond repair. Only two and a half miles from Petersburg was the track even salvageable. The United States Army rebuilt it. Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant requested a railroad