Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-13

xnSMYlx pote N tn1t nas NOT 70
EsE XSSlT been mentioned"
"What reunion 4
Xe .A.sa"
NfX "a reunion Of the rail
r6MN road engineers tina
Sfs served under Unci.
Sans banner during the war"
The above eonvsrsstion. which was part Of .
long coufaA occurred one day during the past
week in ona Of the basement chambers Of the
Capitol between An engineer employed there
and Stan reporter. The engineer sported the
modest little button Of the G.. A. R., was tall,
weil-preserved man of about sixty years and o
capital talker. The oppressive heat had driven
the reporter from the regions above to those
below and an o6hand remark had served e. an
Introduction and an indication Of the scribe's
calling.
well, yes that Is new idea," said the re-
porter. "Were You IN engineer during the
"Yes, IN engineer during the war and for sew
efal years before the great trouble began" re-
be at least 100 Of US left, and knew dozen Of
them IN those days that 70 meet again would be
one OF the happiest times Of my life.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED.
ITO run an engine in those days." continued
the engineer, WAS not only guarantee Of con-
siderable nerve, but also Of all the moral quail
dcations as to habits and character. Every
thing connected with Q railroad, you know,
was OF the crudest sort in comparison with
those of today. The engines were clumsily
built, the cars ramshAokles and the roadbed and
bridges would drive an engineer of the present
time into some other business. Add to this
country swarming with scouts of the enemy
and guerillas. under no flag, looting everything
and everybody, ever ready to pull up a spike
or fire a bridge, and you have meager descrip-
ton Of what q railroad engineer had to face
during the war. The greater portion Of our
work, Of course, occurred between Washington
and Richmond but West Virginia, and, in fact,
all the southern states. were gone over by us.
This wide diversity Of localities was occasioned
by the movements Of the different armies as,
for instance, first served In Virginia under
Gen. Mcclellan and later on under Gen. Sher-
man during the brilliant march to the sea.
"A sudden dash into Q small railroad town
was usually followed by call for maehinists
to repair captured locomotive and then an
engineer to pull the throttle. Then followed
the quick repairing Of the telegraph lines to
learn the whereabouts Of trains and q dash up
the road several miles to fire warehouses and
perchance capture couple car loads Of cotton
or merchandise. These short runs were the
acme Of recklessness. Everybody was on the
alert for q break in the track and shrill shrek
from the locomotive whistle meant q leap for
life, and these leaps came very frequently in
my experience.
II will always cherish the most profound ad-
miration for the gallant engineer that went out
with the famous Andrews raiders. Andrews
OF course, had gallant band with him when he
made that daring steal Of the locomotive and
car, an occurrence familiar to all readers, but
the engineer. to my mind, was the nerviest of
the band. He knew from personal experience
the thousand and one little mi shapa that could
a n Ian thoy oil in ata
nifty or southern prison, and Of which the
novice was not aware. This experience and
made his volunteering for the raid
all the more commendable, and that man stands
out today the king Of engineers."
During your service with the army we're
your experiences Of . startling nature?" asked
the reporter, who knew his man and desired to
draw him out.
FIRED AT FROM AN AMBuscADl.
"Oh. yes, few" replied the veteran with
knowing shake Of the head, 'but placed side by
side with the feat Of the engineer Of the An
drews raid they sink into insignifcance There
is one incident in nv career that would like
to put right, and perhaps this opportunity l. as
good as any that may occur. I wa, called a
coward then and it took me several weeks to set
myself right with the authorities at Wash
ington.
time. June II, 1861. and was ordered to take
out Brig. Gen. Robert Schenk and four COM
panies Of the frat Ohio regiment to guard the
track a. far a. Leesburg.
1--WE left Alexandria in the morning and pro-
ceeded cautiously, the soldisrs in cars and on
trucks ahead Of nv engine in the direction Of
Vienna. Col. McCook With about 800 men &C.
cupied several open cars in the front Of the
train and they were entirely unprotected. chad
just entereda deep cut, whsn tbs cars were
swept nom front to rear by grape and canister
shot, fred from q masked battery Of confeder-
ates, South Carolina regiment, detachmsnt
Of Gen. Besuregard's army.
Those were the early days Of the war and
You can easily imagine how startling thi, hot
reception was to all Of as. Ny engine had one
Of those old -fsshionsd fan-shaped smokestacks
and think this saved the fireman, and myself
from destruction, a. II Was almost torn to
pieces, but acting q shield for Is. The shot
vent high and most Of the soldiers we're sit
ting: Il was said st the time that was fright
ened and that uncoupled the engine from the
train and Aed back TO Alexandria. admit the
hrst charge, q think every soul that COM
posed that expedition was terribly scared, but
easily proved that only obsysd orders and
had resulted n ne brsskins Of the coupling
link. In the confusion snothsr link could not
be found and vas ordered to pull back and
get reinforcements. The troops lsapsd from
the cars and rallied in grove, maintaining 90
ooid front that the confederates retired to
Fairfax Court House, leaving the handful Of
Ohio troops, whom they might have captured
with ease. to make thsir wsy lsisursly back,
carrying their dead and wounded companions
on httsrs and in blankets. The loss was Ave
killed and six wounded, with about thirteen
missing: That engagement vas my baptism Of
the sudden tsrrors Of war and placed me ON
my guard against ambuscades ever aftss."
How about wrecks in those days7 We're
there many Of them that resulted in great loss
Of hfe?" inquired the reporter.
1c1RDL. WRECK. Le
"Wrecks during the var we're generally Of
the most horrible description. An overlooking
Of cars and weak bridges were the principal
causes Of the numerous accidsnts, this state Of
Affairs being brought about by the utter dis
regard tor life sngendered BY the war.
figured q the engineer in one Of the most hor-
rible bridge accidents Of the fss years Of the
scathed.
The accident occurred on the night Of Sep
tember II, 1861. ] can recall that night e
easily a. il it yes but last night The rain was
falling In torrents and the lightning display vas
something remarkably grand. An order came
from Cen Mcclellan 70 push forward troops
with all possible speed, and such were the
orders given TO me - mounted nv engine.
Ny passengers we're the nineteenth nlinois regi-
msnt and they crowded ten ears almost to suf-