Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-11-14
A NIGHT
RUN
Story by Locomotive Engineer
Of Civil War Service
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
ciation, 1911.
BY F. A. Mitchell

Copyright by American Press Asso-
ciation, 1911.
There Is one feature Of the civil war
that has never been written up.
refer to the railroads. They were
the main instruments Of transportation
and communication. Their possession
was therefore usually the most i'm.
portant element In campaign. And
when taken the next problem that
arose was how to hold them and the
next how to operate them to a pur-
pose. The people living in the south
through which they passed were
mostly sympathizers with the Confed-
eracy and did all they could or dare
do to wreck trains in Federal hands.
They would take up rail. saw the
stringers OF a bridge. 80 that the
weight of train would break 1t; they
would interfere with switches. Indeed.
there was no element OF danger they
could devise that they would not
throw In the way OF the Union opera
ton of the road
Before repeating story that was
told me by an ex.Federal railroad en-
gineer | will mention narrow escape
to which | was u party. was with
a Union general who was riding on
locomotive through a hostile coun-
try. The engineer was young south
erner whom the general had Impressed
for the service. forcing him to run
the engine. We were speeding along
at night. Suddenly | saw the engi.
neer reverse the wheels, then. pale as
q ghost. wait for something terrible
to happen. felt jolt, and the en-
gineer at once recovered his courage.
He had seen a tie wedged in between
the rails with q view to throwing our
locomotive Off the tracks and down
an embankment. The effort had fall
ed. In q few minutes we thought no
more about 1t. The deaths we missed
and were constantly missing counted
for nothing. Now for the story.
Zone morning at daybreak." said the
narrator, after q forced march we
struck one Of the main railroad ar
teries in the southwest and captured a
lot of rolling stock. My captain told
me that the general had called for
those of the command who had been
railway engineers, conductors anu
trainmen. and |. being an engineer.
was to report at once at headquarters
did so. The general asked me few
questions about my experience and told
me to report for duty to Captain Ben
ton. who had been appointed railway
superintendent. | was given an engine
and hauled troops to the eastern end
Of the road. which they occupied.
at was about two weeks after this
that the superintendent told me to re
port In person to the general. did so.
and he said to me:
Sergeant. have just received a
telegram from L.. at the other end of
the road, that the force there has been
attacked by superior force The
colonel commanding has promised not
to surrender for at least two hours
You must take train through to him
loaded with troops and ammunition
within that period
but. general eIpostulated, there
are three elements against me. must
20 in the night. the roadbed will not
admit of n safe rate of over thirty
miles an hour. and the people along the
route will do all they can to wreck the
train
"'You must go the whole ninety
miles In two hours. The possession OF
L. is of vital Importance II you reach
there before the surrender 1t will be
saved Better that you should wreck
your train than be minute late.
That's what mans life-not one
mans life. but thousands-is worth
in war walked away from the gen
eral feeling that had been ordered to
take nine chances in ten Of killing and
manning 500 men. including myself
But I'd been in 1t year then and
knew how little our lives were worth
against the possibility OF achieving
success for the nation.
81 found that the superintendent had
been getting train ready for me and
1t was loaded with the probable
victims. sprang on to the cab aud
with a couple of short toots from the
whistle started the machine. the one
in best repair In our possession. I had
been over the line nearly every day
for n fortnight and knew where I must
endeavor to make the best time.
hadn't had any time to figure 1t out
mathematically. must take frightful
risks on the straightaway parts and
let up on the curves. And even on the
curves 1 must drive far beyond safe
rate.
"If may be said to have got on well
on any part Of the journey 1t was the
first half. For that period my arm
was steady and my brain was cool
Nevertheless II was an hour calculated
to break the stoutest nerve. Word
must have got to some Of the people
along the line. for I had scarcely got
over ten miles when ! found an OBJ
struction. Coming to sharp curve
around the base Of bill. said to my.
self. If they're going to throw me on
anywhere they'll do II right here So
I cut my speed down to what would
enable me to stop within less than a
trains length. 1t was we'll did 80.
At the farther end Of the curve pull.
ed up within ten feet Of tree felled
across he track
'.ren minutes was all the delay oc-
castoned. and pushed on. But what
ever Of hope had felt ip'orr that this
element Ot danger would not come up
before me was crushed ont OF me. he
yond the curve ! came to the first LONG
straight bit of the road on the line.
knew | must do over sixty miles al
hour here In order to get through ID
the limit OF time. For twelve miles |
kept my eyes fixed on the track illu
minated by the headlight. tearing along
30 fast that should an obstruction br
on the track | could never slow up IN
time to avoid II. Every minute OF
strain on my nerves took just so much
strength out OF them. believed that
no one would nlace anything on Q