Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-02-08
From the Toledo Bis de.
Wild and Daring Heroes.


TIVE CHASE on RECORD HUNTED By BLOOD
HoUNDs-CAPTURE OF UNION SOLDIERS =
| HANGING THE LEADER AND SEVEN OF HIS MEN
| seine AT THE sCAFFoLD.
In March of 1862 the confederate army of
the West was concentrated at Corinth, MISS,
| under Beauregard. This army received Its
supplies from the rich Georgia and Carolina
| fields, and its renforcements from extensive
drill camps in those states. These troops
and supplies were forwarded over a single
line of railroad-the Western and Atlantic
running from Atlanta, Ca, to Chattanooga,
Tenn, which had been, not inaptly, called
''the backbone of the rebellion" The move
ments, present and prospective, OF the fed
eral armies rendered it very important that
| Beauregard should be cut of from the camps
and granaries in his rear. But rs this rail-
| road that was his channel of communication
ran through the very heart OF the confeder-
ate country, and was guarded by numberless
soldiers on all sides, it was felt to be impos
sible to isolate the willy commander.
Just at this time man named j. j. An
| drews, a Kentuckian, and thoroughly devoted
| to the Union cause, sought an interview
with Gen. Mitchell ; aud offered with de-
tail OF 20 men to penetrate the enemy's conn
try in disguise, CAPTURE an engine and burn
| the bridges OF the Western and Atlantic
| road. The project was considered impossi-
| ble, but Andrews persisted that he would ac-
conplish 1t, and at length he was empowered
| to make the attempt. 1t was agreed that If
he succeeded he was to be paid $50, 200. He
| selected as his lieutenant William Campbell,
q kentuckian, and was furnished with de-
tail of 20 men from the second, twenty-first
and thirty-third Ohio regiments. Only one
| man WAS taken from each company.
| On the 9Th OF April, at 3 O'Clock, the men,
in the disguise of citizens, left their camp to
rendezvous at Shelbyville, the federal camp
being at Murfreesboro. AT about midnight
| the % determined men meet In the woods
| beyond Shelbyville, and the daring plot was
| for the first time unfolded to the detailed
| soldiers The council over. the raiders scat
| tered into squads of two or three and started
| for Chattanooga, the northern terminus oil
| the Western and at Atlantic road. 10 reach
this they were compelled to march through
| 1873 miles of tine enemy's country, with SOL
| diers standing guard over every road. After
exciting adventures, the whole party reached
| Chattanooga, and, in company with hun
| dreds of confederates who were hurrying to
the front to Join Beauregard. boarded the
| train. They had arranged to ride to Marietta,
rest there during the night, and start back
| toward Chattanooga the next day and burn
the bridges as they came. They reached
Marietta, went TO the hotel, registered and
turned in for the nights rest. They were IN
the very heart of the enemy's country, with
no possible succor within 200 miles, and were
determined on the next day TO burn the
bridges and destroy the rails OF road that
was the vital artery of the confederacy, and
that was literally lined with soldiers. In
deed, their devotion seemed fatuous, Their
heroism foolhardy, their martyrdom sell
chosen and fore-ordained.
At o'clock in the morning the men were
awakened and hurried on the train. Their
general scheme involved the seizure OF the
train by some means or other. The tram
once captured, they were TO push ahead.
burn the bridges, and destroy the track. The
details of this plan were not arranged
Whether the train should be captured by
trick, or by a direct assault upon the forces
commanding it, was not determined upon.
The whole affair was intrusted to Andrews.
His men were to watch HIM closely, and obey
his slightest sign.
The train pulled slowly cut of Marietta,
and after an hour or so reached Big Shanty,
where it stopped for breakfast. Big Shanty
was drill camp. and about 1eOeO soldiers
were stationed there The engineer, conduc-
tor and passengers were in the hotel at
breakfast The yankees had gone in with
the rest. and were quietly eating their
breakfast Suddenly Andrews ppeared at
leisurely way:
THE CAPTURE OF THE TRAIN.
We'll, boys, if You are done, let us SO and
get our seats" Immediately his q men
arose and started out fthe hall. When they
reached the door they found Andrews await
ing them As they came out he gave each
man hurried whispered word of instruction
Then taking three men with him he walked
slowly and apparently aimlessly in the direc-
ton of the unguarded engine. In the mean
time one of his band had slipped IN between
the baggage and passenger cars and uncoup-
led them. leaving only three cars attached TO
the engine. The other members OF the band
stood by the open doors OF the baggage cars,
ready to leap into them at n moments notice.
Several thousand confederate soldiers were
standing around in sight. many OF them
almost tonching the cars. As soon as An
drews and his three companions reached the
engine, they leaped briskly upon 1t, he hav-
ing first given a subtle signal with his hand
that whisked the other raiders into the bag
gage car as if by magic. Then the throttle
OF the engine Was opened, her lever was
pulled back to its utmost stretch ;. the great
iron monster thrilled for q moment, trembled
uneasily, then fiattened to the track, and
went flying away towards the west. Not un-
til the engine was fairly out of sight did the
done. When the truth was realized the most
frantic uproar arose the mass of soldiers,
citizens and train hands huddled upon the
track i'll pitiable confusion yells OF rage
swelled into the air, and the sharp crackle of
comment brol,e the monotnny. Suddenly
two men, hatless and coatless, sped from out
this bewildered crowd, and with pale, deter
mined faces, started in pursuit of the engine.
These were the conductor and engineer.
Messrs. Fuller and Murphy, who, on foot,
amid the sudden and uncontrolled laughter
of the crowd, started out to catch the men,
who were flying at the rate of GO miles an
hour with their train.
THRILLING RACE.
The % men upon the engine had an almost
impossible task before them. And yet they
went ahead, bravely and carefully. When
ont about one mile from the station (where
there was no telegraph operator) they stop
ped and cut down the wire and pulled up
rail or two. Remounting their engine, they
hurried on. When they reached the first
station above Big Shanty they told the tank
tender that they were pulling an extra pow
der train for Beauregard, and asked for a
schedule. He gave them one, and they found
that they would meet the down passenger
train a few stations above. Having more
than enough time to make the schedule they
pulled along leisurely, stopping occasionally
to tear up the track They had no tools with
which to take up the rails and had to batter
them down with hammers. While engaged
at this work they were astounded at hearing
short distance behind them the whistle OF
an engine in pursuit. With one coHvulsive
effort they tore up the rails they were ham
mering at and remOunted their engine. As
they did so they saw the engine manned by
their pursuers rush around the curve. 1t
was stopped by the torn track and in the
meantime the raiders flew out Of sight. They
had to stop so frequently, however, to cut
the wire that their pursuers kept in sight
nearly all the way. The chase head
long one. Two men stood on the COW catch
er of the pursuing engine. to leap of and
move distractions tIum the track, and TO
tear up rails from behind the enging and lay
them down in front. At length, Just AS they
were nearing the station where they were to
meet the down train, the raiders succeeded
in tearing up the track very badly and load
ing their baggage car with some 80 rails.
They then drew in ON the siding and waited
for the down train to clear the track. They
told the powder train story to the conductor
of this train.
As they pulled out they saw their pursuers
reach the broken track and halt their engine.
Two men (the conductor and engineer of the
stolen) Jumped OF and ran toward the down
train They boarded it and hastily tdrned
it back and pushed, wrong end foremost, in
pursuit of the flying Yankees. Then there
was an open track and fair race. Through
village after village the two trains flew like
lightning. Having TO stop occasionally TO
cut the telegraph wires, Andrews saw that IT
was necessary to force his pursuers to halt
also. Consequently he knocked the rear end
of the last baggage ear ont, and dropped
crossties and rails upon the track in front OF
| the pursuing train. At last when he was
pushed very close, he uneoupled one of the
cars and left 1t drifting upon the track. The
| The coDfederates halted an instant. coupled
it to their train. and hurried on AGAIN. push
ing it ahead of them. Another car was
finally dropped, md at length the last car
was kindled into u blaze and left upon high
bridge in the hope that it might burn the