St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-06-22

fugitives. Taking more volunteers they |
pushed along at the utmost speed.
Three miles beyond Calhoun, and rs
miles from Chattanooga, the raiders
stopped to take up rail and cut the
wire again, as before mentioned. While
at it the shrek of the pursuing engine
is heard, and pursuers and pursued now
for the first time see the smoke of each
others engines. The raiders, in antici-
patton of the worst, had filled the rear
car with crOss-ties. They broke cut
the end of the car and pitched these out
along the track. Most of them bounded
off, but some remained. The raiders
now had no time to take up rails. But
at a sharp curve they uncOupled the
rear car and left it standing. The pur-
suers pushed it on ahead to the next
switch and thus got it out of the way.
And now what a race? 1t was nip
and tuck over the iron rails, the parties
coming in sight of each other at every
straight stretch in the road. This "neck
and neck' race was kept up for thirty
odd miles. Through stations and over
bridges they dashed like mad, the in
habitants unable to understand the re-
markable proceeding. There is no race
vi lCSOlu ilhC tHI5. uC WCIC
nerved with the energy of despair.
They tore up much of car to get ma
terial for obstructing the track and for
fuel for the engine.
The pursueTs mounted men upon the
cow-catchers of the engine, who jumped
off when speed was Stacked, running
ahead, removing the obstruction and
jumping on again, so little time was
lA,+ L. I,
car, and by this means gain time to cut
the wire, which was work that could
not be neglected. While some were
doing this others lOosened rail, so that
the end toward the pursuers projected
up three or four inches, intending to
throw them off. But it was not quite
high enough they were foiled again in
their efforts to stop the pursuers. They
shot through Dalton, the enemy only
three miles behind. They now had to
face new terror, as the engine had
exhausted nearly all the water in the
boiler, and there was no time to take a
supply. The engine consequently be-
came so hot they could hardly stay in
it. The case was desperate. Some of
the men proposed to Andrews that they
stop, lie in ambush, obstruct the track,
and when the pursuing engine came up,
shoot every man upon it, and let the
engine drive back against whoever fol-
lowed.
But Andrews would not agree to this
though he afterward regretted the de-
cisiOn. Meantime they were running
by stations and villages at furious
rate, but it was plain it could not long
continue. Intending passengers came
to the stations, but shrank back in hOr-
ror at the rate the train ran, and were
still more astonished to see an engine
followed by three trains of soldiers, il
pursuit. AS a last resort the raiders
attempted to build fire in the remain
ing car, but the rapid motion put the
matches out. They were so closely
pursued that they could no longer stoI
! even to cut the wires, and it became
apparent that they would be captured
in Chattanooga, even though they NIGH
escape their immediate pursuers. The
sickening conviction dawned upon these
resolute men that their plan had failed
How much they regretted it, after al
this trial and preparation, let the reader
} imagine. Near Graysville, and within
fifteen miles of Chattanooga, they helC
hurried consultation, and Andrew.
thought it best for them to separate an(
: every man do the best he could to save
himself. They stopped the red-hot en-
gine, and took to. the woods and ridges
, and some on one side of the track anC
some on the other.
1t is wild, billy wilderness country
about Graysville, and but sixteen mile
: from the Tennessee river. Had they
. hN.l 90, .x.I,%
the river they could have got there, anC
: perhaps across before the country wa
, aroused. Once in the mountains on the
| north side, and among the Union peo
: pie, they would in all probability have
J escaped. Upon alighting from the en-
gine each took to the woods on his owl
hook. 1t was Saturday, the 18th da.
: of April, and the day was set apart fo
{, a general mastering of Confederate vol
unteers. This was against them, for a
soon as the alarm was given, the wood
: were filled with men in pursuit. Th,
, Southern Confederacy, a newspape
, then published in Atlanta, speaking o
this affair at the time, said:
Had they succeeded in burning bridge
the enemy at Huntsville would hav
5 occupied Chattanooga by Sunday night
Yesterday they would have occupie,
: Knoxville, and thus have had possession
: of all East Tennessee. Our forces Il
1 Knoxville, Greenville and Cumberlan,
r Gap would have fallen into the hand
of the enemy. Lynchburg would hav
3 been moved upon at once. This wOul,
r have given them possession of the val
= ley of Virginia, and StOnewall jackson
S would have been attacked in the real
J 1t is not by any means improbable tha
). our army in Virginia would have bee
Q defeated, captured or driven out of tn
State this week. Reinforeements from
. all the eastern and southeastern pOr
D tions of the country would have beel
= cut off from Beauregard. The enem,
i. have Huntsville now, and with all thes
S designs accomplished, his enemy woult
! have been etfectually cut Off"
] Such was the view of the case takel
/ by the Confederate authorities an,
S newspapers at the time. Hence tn
2 extraordinary preparations and exer
t tions to capture these daring raider
t after they fled to the woods near Grays
| vile. 1t was resolved that not on
0 should escape-the whole country wa
= aroused. Regiments were divided u
l and sent into the woods in squads
:, BloOd-hounds were brought to tract
: the fugitives. The result was, ever!
q one of the twenty was taken, some o
1 them upon the banks of the Tennessee
: river, at the very door of safety, for tia
n Union people in the mountains north 0
e the river would have piloted then
through. But they were all capture,
D and confined in Jail at Chattanooga
r They did not expect to be executed, a