The Marshall republican., 1912-03-15
A NIGHT
RUN
Story by a Locomotive Engineer
Of Civil War Service
BY r. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.
BY F. A. CHEL

mat mas never Dccn written up.
l refer to the railroads. They wer
the main instruments Of transportatio
and communication. Their possession
was therefore usually the most in
portant element in n campaign. An
when taken the next problem TIM
hrose was how to hold them and tb
next how to operate them TO a pui
pose. The people living in the sout
through which they passed wer
mostly sympathizers with the Confed
eracy and did all they could or dar
do TO wreck trains in Federal hands
They would take up a rail, saw tn
stringers OF a bridge, 30 that Oh
weight OF n train would break Il; the.
would interfere with switches. Indeed
there was no element OF danger the.
could devise that they would no
throw in the way OF the Union opera
ton Of the road.
Before repeating a story that wa
told mo by an ex-Federai railroad en-
gineer I will mention a narrow escap
to which I was a party. I was Will
u Union general who was riding Of
q locomotive through a hostile coun
try. Tho engineer was a young south
erner whom the general had impressed
for tho service. forcing him to rui
tho engine. We were speeding alont
at night. suddenly I saw the engi
necr reverse the wheels. then. pale a
q ghost. wait for something terrible
TO happen. felt n Jolt, and the en-
gineer at once recovered his courage
He had seen q tie wcdged in between
the rails with a view TO throwing GU.
locomotive or the trucks and dowr
an embankment The effort had fail
ed. In n few minutes we thought ne
more about II. The deaths we missed
md were constantly missing counted
for nothing. Now for the story.
zone morning mt daybreak," said the
narrator, 'after n forced march we
struck one of the main railroad ar
tcrIes In the southwest aud captured q
lot Of rolling stock. My captain told
me that the general had called for
those OF the command who had been
railway engineers. conductors and
trainmcn. and I. being an engineer,
was TO report mt once at headquarters.
I did 80. The general asked me a few
questions about my experience and told
me to report for duty to Captain Ben.
ton. who had been appointed railway
superintendent. I.was given an engine
and hauled troops 10 the eastern end
OF the road. which they occupied.
at was about two weeks after this
that the superintendent told me TO re.
port I'm person to the general. ] did so.
and he said to me:
Sergeant. I have Just received q
telegram from t., mt the other end OF
the road. that the force there has been
attacked by n superior force. The
colonel commanding has promised not
TO surrender for ut least two hours.
You must take a train through to him
loaded with troops aud ammunition
within that period
"'But. general I expostulated, there
are three elements against me. must
go in tho night. the roadbed will not
admit Of a 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 60 the whole ninety
miles In two hours. The possession OF
l.. is OF vital importance. II you reach
there before the surrender II will be
saved. Better that you should wreck
your train than be a minute late.'
"That's what q mans life-not one
mans life, but thousands-is worth
In war. I wnlked away from the gen
srai feeling that ! had been ordered to
take nine chances IN ten Of killing and
maiming 800 men, including myself.
But I'd been In It a 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 a train ready for me and
h was loaded With the probable
rlctims. ! sprang on TO the cab and
with a couple Of short toots from the
whistle started the machine, the one
n best repair In our possession, I had
,een over the line nearly every day
.or a fortnight and knew where I must
sndeavor to mako the best time.
hadn't had any time to figure It cut
automatically. I must take frightful
risks on the straightaway parts and
let up on the curves. And even on the
curves l must drive far beyond a safe
rate.
III I may be said to have got ON well
on any part OF the Journey 1t was the
irst half. For that period my arm
was steady and my brain was cool,
Nevertheless It 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
pver ten miles when I found an OBJ
ttruction. Coming to q sharp curve
around the base OF q hill. l said to my
self. IL they're going to throw me on
A-~--A--. 49, aka-k-AA a