Horses, mules, wagons, and carriages were scarce, the country roads were nearly impassable, and bridges were in bad repair or had been burned or washed away.

Steamboats had almost disappeared from the rivers.

Those which had escaped capture as blockade runners had been subsequently destroyed or were worn out..

Postal facilities, which had been poor enough during the last year of the Confederacy, were entirely lacking for several months after the surrender.
The railways were in a state of physical dilapidation little removed from destruction, save for those that had been captured and kept in partial repair by the Federal troops.

The rolling stock had been lost by capture, by destruction to prevent capture, in wrecks, which were frequent, or had been worn out.