▁West ▁Point ▁class mate , ▁eas ing ▁the ▁transition ▁of ▁power . ▁ ▁Post war ▁recovery ▁ ▁The ▁rail ro ads ▁that ▁had ▁driven ▁Lyn ch burg ' s ▁economy ▁were ▁destroyed ▁by ▁the ▁war ' s ▁end . ▁The ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁deeply ▁res ented ▁occup ying ▁forces ▁under ▁General ▁J . ▁L . ▁Gre gg , ▁and ▁worked ▁more ▁readily ▁with ▁his ▁aff able ▁successor ▁General ▁N . M . ▁Curt is . ▁Thomas ▁J . ▁Kirk pat rick ▁became ▁super int endent ▁for ▁the ▁public ▁education ▁established ▁under ▁Virginia ' s ▁Re const ruction - era ▁legisl ature ▁and ▁Constitution ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁and ▁built ▁four ▁new ▁public ▁schools . ▁Pre viously , ▁the ▁only ▁education ▁for ▁students ▁from ▁poor ▁families ▁was ▁provided ▁through ▁St . ▁Paul ' s ▁Epis cop al ▁Church . ▁ ▁Flo ods ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁and ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁destroyed ▁the ▁city ' s ▁brid ges ▁( which ▁were ▁re built ) ▁and ▁the ▁James ▁River ▁and ▁Kan ah wa ▁Canal . ▁That ▁was ▁not ▁re built . ▁The ▁to w path ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁bed ▁for ▁lay ing ▁the ▁rails ▁of ▁the ▁Richmond ▁and ▁Al leg hen y ▁Rail road , ▁a ▁project ▁conce ived ▁five ▁dec ades ▁earlier . ▁ ▁The ▁city ▁limits ▁expanded ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁that ▁rail road ▁was ▁completed ▁to ▁Lyn ch burg , ▁and ▁another ▁rail road ▁reached