The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-09-30
A MOST DARING EPISODE OF THE WAR.
HOT PURSUIT OF A STOLEN
LOCOMOTIVE.

sh,ntv Station---Dcvices of tho
Fugitivcs and Disastrous Ehd OF
tho Raid.
Bridgeport Uonn) Farmer.
On ~ day in April, 1863, q passenger
train from Marietta, Ga, stopped at
the station Of Big Sbanty, eight miles
north and the welcome woru passeu
through the cars, - ten mlnutes ior
snn"crs many OF them soldiers Of the
Confedcracy, and with tho conductor,
engineer and brakesman eagerly
sought the lunch counter. But among
the passengers was group OF civilians:
some twenty in number, who seemed
less hungry, and lOitcred on the plat
form after tho others had vanished in
the refreshmcnt room. Near the
station was a Confederate camp, well
filed with new recruits, one OF whom
was pacing his beat rs sentinel scare
dozen steps from the engine.
Had he been an old soldier the SEN
try would doubtless have paid more
attention to the movements Of the
civilians, one of whom climbed into
the locomotive, IL group OF others into
the empty boX-Car, while another
slippcd between two cars and quietly
pulled out the coupling pin. The last
OF the group nov walked quickly up
the platform, nodded to the man in
the engine and the cars next behind
it began to move.
The sentinel, now first convinced
that something was wrong, fired an
alarm shot and the conductor, whose
ears had caught tho grind of the wheel
on the track, rushed hastily out, to
iiud to his astoniShment and dismay
that half the train was running away.
INF 81 llln
full Of helpless anger. Their loc0mo'
tive had been stolen, there was no
other engine within miles, what was
to be done?
The conductor, evidently not seeing
anything better to do, started at full
speed up the track, accompanied by u
railroad mechanic named Murphy.
The effort seemed u ludicr0us one
two men chasing a locOm0tive-but
fortune help those who help them
selves and fortune came to Conductors
Fuller',s aid. The two men had not
gone far before they espicd hand
car, standing beside tho track. Here
was hope. Lifting it by main strength
on the rails, they applied themselves
to tho levers and soon were tlying up
the track much faster than their feet
could have carried them.
But misfortune succeeded. The car
struck a broken rail and was hurled
from the track, llnging its occupants
into muddy ditch. Up sprang the
conductor, nothing the worse, but
much the more unsighty, from his
bath of mud. Up sprang Murphy be-
side him. They sprang to the car,
righted it, tuggcd itagain to the track,
with eyes wide open for further
legacies OF broken rails. Conductor
Fuller was proving himself Il man full
OF grit. He was bound to run down
that locomotive, even if he had to
crawl on its track. at length the
station OF EtOwah was reached. Here
to his delight Fuller found an engine
with steam up, ready for the road. He
found soldiers here also, to whom he
hurriedly told his tale Of what he was
sure was daring Yankee trick and
asked for volunteers. He got them in
abundance; the engine and tender
were quickly filled with eager allies,
ana away went the pursuers now " ith
effective speed. An effort had also
been made to telegraph the news
ahead, but this had failed the wires
had evidently been cut.
.tulier was right in saying that the
Plratlcal party were Yankees. Thcy
were band Of daring scouts who had
stcalthlly made their way South, their
INTENTION being to steal a locomotive.
ourn the bridges behind them as thev
hed, ana thus make useless the only
railroad 6y which the Confederate
forces could be hastcneu to Chattanoo
ga, then threatened by the Union forco
under General Mitchell.
So far they had been strikingly sue.
cessful. They had torn up the rail
whore Fuller and Murphy got their
somersault, cut the telegraph wire
and run past station after station
stopping here and there for wood and
water. TO all questions, the com
mander Of the expedition, James j
Andrews by name, had but one answer
:" am taking a train load of powder
to General Beauregard y; p)nting a
the same time to the closed box cars
in which lay his concealed compan
ions.
Yet ill-fortune awaited them. They
had hit upon the wrong day. Yester
day they would have found clca,
track. To-day tho road ahead wa.
blocked with trains hurrying south
word. Mitchell had taken Huntsville
Chattanooga was in danger Of capture
Everything movable was being rushed
quickly south. Trouble first came at
KinstOn, q station thirteen miles from
Big Shanty. Andrews drew his car
on siding, to let pass an expected
local train, hoping after it had passed
to find O clear track to Chattanooga
1t came. haltod, and on its last cas
waved red flag. the signal that an
other train was following.
/" How is this ?' Andrews asked the
conductor, in sharp tones. MY
orders are to take this powder North
without delay. Why is the road
blocked ?
mitchell Is coming to Chattanooga, "
was the reply. we are getting
everything we can out OF it,"
This looked serious. How many
trains might there be in the rear /?
The expected train came. TO their
dismay the fatal red flag iloated on it's
rear. Another train; still the red
flag. AN hour of intense anxiety
passed before the blockade was broken.
Then q train passed without the
danger signal, and the fugitives with
renewed hope, drew out from their
n1oca nf npri1 Vat thoi, Tolor H., Il