The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1891-01-27

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-S--~-,~~~ assemble a
N6Gxss&sa. ia, capture @ locomotive
As~kxnn norfh destroying en- route the
h<31wW, end teieRraph between the
So q cspsmre aad chateaueoen.
Ihs axfsdition was Suggested and
ssuducewd ~ y. J Andrews, a spy.
The soldiers volnassered For the ser.
wsse, Add were told the nature and
Varpoma OF Ia. Thsy we're armed oniy
with rewo1wers. exehsnxed their uni
kusm. Tor citixassss dress, and deceived
the enemy's troops and people.
Twenty-Five Of the party assembI a
at Marietta on Friday evening April
IL, took as age on the north bound
train shout daylight next morning.
. d when the train stopped for break
fast at q station called Big Shanty
tE quietly uncoupled the locomotive
aud three box .aars, and started at full
speed mp tho 3 ask.
Pursuit wa- made as soon as nos
sible. The adlventurNrs met with I'M
sxpeoted difficulties and delays, and
afsar running about one hundred miles
we're compelled TO aba don the train
and scatter In tho woods. The sur
rounding country was aroused: the
fugilivea were hunted down. and all
were capture and imprisoned.
After some months Andrews, the
leader, and seven others were tried by
court-martial and hanged aud eight
n ade their escape. The remaining
six were exchanged in the following
March.
The absorbing story of this unparal-
leled enterpri lie told In detail bY the
hevereud William Pittenger, Que of
the survivors, Ia o volume entitled
Capturing Locomotive.
No romance contains more Of danger
pluck, re e4olution, endurance, suffer
ing gloom and hope tn an this tru hful
account of an actual occurrence IN our
War of Rebellion. II does not det act
from the interest of the story that the
author Of the book Is not fullv informed
o. to the oElgsn of the enterprise, and
Is not strictly correct as 70 its purpo se4
ahA their imports
The adventure he describes was the
second thai was planned, both of which
he erroneou -ly assumes were n.eug
nrated under the authority of General
Mitchell for tho purpose of enabli8g o.
facilita lug the captured of Chattanooga
by that officer.
The facts are as follows: The rebel
HE, extending in the inter of lS6I-62
from Columbia, on the Mississippi
River, TO Bowling Green, Kentucky,
was broken in the centee by the capture
of Forts Henry and Donelson, and the
eDemy was forced to fall back. The
main body from Bowl Green retired
via Nashville through Middle Tennes
see 20 the south OF the TIE Inessee River.
General Haileck, adhering to his in
terror lie, moved hh troops up the
Tennessee River in March. with view
10 breaking the new line the enemv
had establi, he'd, or was about to estab-
hsh, alo g the Memphis aud Charle -
ton Railroad
Buell., who with the Army of the
Ohio had sci ed Nashville In the lattor
end of February, 1862, and wa, about
marching westward 10 joint Grant at
Savanna, on the Tennessee, was not !
unmindful OF the advantage o. break
ing west of Chattanooga tho railroad
which led the rebel forces from the
east and south to his flank, ID also |
directly connected them with Corinth |
against which Halleck was moving.
The spy Andrews. who was in Bnell's |
service, represented, early in March, |
1862, that with a party of six trusty |
men he could DESTROY the bridges |
between Chattanooga and Bldg.
port, and also the importalt bridg~ /
over the Tennessee at the latter place
and thus effectually prevent the enemy
from using that route either to re-an-
force Cprinth or return to Middle Ten.
nesse.
The Services rendered by the spy /
Andrews had not been OF much benefit |
10 Buell., and the General did not on
courage tho proposition; but colae
lnence mainly Of the confidence aud
urgency of the spy, he finally directed |
hia chief Of staff, Colonel James B
FRY, to confer fully with Andrew.
md use bis discretion as to authoriz
ng and organizing the enterprise.
The chief Of staff, on The strength of
Andrews assurance that al engiaees
running q re rular train over the road
vas In our interest, and would u.e his
locomotive for the purpose sanctioned
md arranged the undertaking.
sponeral Mitchell va directed to fur
aiah six men, If volunteers for tho service
,0uld be found That Ii all He al
Mitchell had 10 do with the original O.
q prise.
Herewith is given cop OF a cite
rom General Buell. on he sub &C., aDd
lere IL cal be stated tha' General
Snen knew only of ihe first avpedj