The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-04-15
Locomotive With Most inter-
esting War Record
SERVED THE CONFEDERACY
Figured Conspicuously In Andrews
Raid in April, 1904, and Was
Stolen by Federals

chattanooga Tenn, April 12.-Visi-
on MAY 2T-29 will be interested in an
old locomotive that is fenced off to it
self with a substantial and ornamen-
tai iron fence in the Union depot. This
engine is known from one end OF the
South to the other as The General
and it is cared for by the Nashville.
Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway as
a precious heirloom. The General
is the property of that road. Ii has
the most interesting and extensive war
record OF any engine on the American
continent.
The General figured conSpicuously
in the Andrews raid between Big
Shanty, Ga. and Ringold. Ga, in April,
1864. being the engine that was stolen
at the former point by spies of the
Federal army. This was
headed by a daredevil Federal soldier
by the name of James Andrews, OF
F~lemingsburg, Ky.
This raid is one of the many Incl
dents Of the civil war in the Chatta-
nOoga-Atlanta campaign that has
around it the glamour of fiction. But
it is n fact OF history that emphasizes
the daring spirits Of men who did SER
vice in this section of the South for
hht' 4
The Story in Brief.
On the morning of April Il. 1854,
Capt W. a. Fuller, a conductor on the
Western and Atlantic Railroad, left
Marietta, Ga. with a mixed train for
Chattanooga. A company of twenty
W Federal soldiers. disguised as citi-
Zens, boarded this train at Marietta
with tickets for Chattanooga. The
train stopped at Big Shanty, Ga,
something more than a hundred miles
south of Chattanooga. for breakfast.
While ne train crew were III the din
ing room Of the eating house, Andrews
and his party uncoupled the engine
and u few freight ears from the pas
senger coaches turned on steam and
hit the rails" in the direction of Chat
tanooga. 1t was their intention to
burn all bridges between Big Shanty
and Chattanooga, fifteen in all, and by
that means separate the Confederate
army from Its base OF supplies.
Capt. w. A. Fuller. conductor of the
train, however, heard the noise of the
retreating engine n Immediately rar
out to see what the trouble was. At
glance he knew what he was III
against-that the engine had beer
stolen by Federal soldiers in disguis'
for the purpose of tearing UP tract
or burning bridges. Captain Fulle
N party started on foot to overtak'
IV III wv ia up AC kOdS
they found a handcar, and appropri
ated II TO their own use. With thi
car they made their way to Rome, Ga
where an engine was secured With
out loss OF time they took possession
Of this engine and started after tn
Andrews party. 1t was a race full o
the most exciting incidents. such q
jumping over crossties that had bee
placed on he track by the Federal!
repairing broken rails and the like.
Caught Them.
The fugitives were finally over
hauled between Ringold and Grays
Vile, after a chase covering a distanc
OF ninety miles. When Andrews an
his men saw they were beaten. the
abandoned the engine and took to tn
woods. As Captain Fuller passe
Ringgold he saw a company of Cor
federates at muster. He sent wor
back to the captain OF this compar
TO get his whole into tt
woods at once on horseback to captul
the Federals under Andrews. All
them were quickly captured.
They were taken back to Allan
and turned over to the Confedera
authorities there. Eight of them. Il
Guiding Andrews himself, were tri.
by court-maritial and executed
spies. Eight escaped from Jail and s
were exchanged for Confederate pri
oners.
Mile q Minute.
At q number OF places on the tt
from Big Shanty to Ringgold, CAPITA
Fuller ran his engine ut the rate OF
mile a minute. Fifty miles at O
stretch. according to his report, "
covered in So minutes, faster til
than is now made on this road wi
modern engines. the best of roadb
and other facilities for fast travel
make the feat all the more remar
able when it is known that Capts
Iruller's engine was 'crawfshing."
the railroad men say. all the way fr,
Rome to where the fugitives W,
cvcrhau!ed.
II addition 20 this exciting ex