The importance of railroads in wartime was discovered during the Civil War. The forces best able to utilize the railroad's ability to move men and supplies rapidly would have a tremendous advantage. Conversely, the side whose rails we're crippled would be at a serious disadvantage. Consequently both the union and the confederacy detailed many men to rail destruction. Usually a section of track was taken up, ties piled together and, set on fire. When the rails were heated to a cherry red they were wrapped two or three times around a tree. This meant the enemy could not retrieve and reuse either ties or rails. They were called “Sherman’s Hairpins” because Sherman’s army did this repeatedly as they marched through Georgia.