The Great Locomotive Chase

The railroad industry grew exponentially during the American Civil War. The Iron Horse turned from a luxury item to a necessity as armies rushed troops and supplies over tracks to battlefronts. The railroad’s involvement in the American Civil War began almost immediately after Fort Sumter. The arrival of Joe Johnston’s troops by rail added significantly to the Confederate victory at First Bull Run. Trains were the stuff of exciting tales, and the best action-thriller of the war was Andrews Raid, aka The Great Locomotive Chase.

The Backdrop to the Chase

Chattanooga, Tennessee, was a central rail hub of the Confederacy. Brigadier General Ormsby Mitchel, a commander of Union forces in Tennessee, was maneuvering to take Huntsville, Alabama, and then advance on Chattanooga. He faced the strategic problem of stopping a Confederate counterattack to his moves. The Western & Atlantic Railroad could send reinforcements from Atlanta that would thwart his intentions to take Chattanooga. The solution was to obstruct efforts to send Confederate troops by rail.

Enter Mr. Andrews

James J. Andrews was a civilian scout and spy for the Union army. He approached General Mitchel with a plan that would help.

Andrews proposed a raid on the Western & Atlantic Railroad, but it would be more than just destroying some rails. Instead, Andrews had in mind to seize a Confederate train and ride it northbound. The intent would be to burn bridges, cut telegraph wires, and essentially make the Western & Atlantic lines unusable all the way to Chattanooga. Mitchel would lead his troops from Huntsville, Alabama, and then head towards Chattanooga.

That railroad hub would not be able to receive reinforcements from Atlanta and would probably fall without a problem. It was an audacious plan, and Mitchel gave it the green light.

Andrews recruited a group of men that included a civilian and 22 Union soldier volunteers. These were Andrews Raiders, and their instructions were to rendezvous in Marietta, Georgia, by midnight of April 10, 1862. Everyone was to dress in civilian clothes, and if anyone questioned them, they would reply that they were on their way to enlist in the Confederate Army. The weather caused some delays, but only two did not reach the rendezvous point at the right time.

The Locomotive Capture

Andrews knew the Western & Atlantic railroad line because of his scout and spy duties. On the morning of April 12, 1862, a southern locomotive known as the General made a breakfast stop at the Lacey Hotel in Big Shanty, Georgia. Andrews and his colleagues boarded the train, unbuckled the passenger cars, and headed north with the locomotive and three boxcars.

We would think from Hollywood movies that the train would be speeding along the tracks, but that was not the case. Locomotives could go as fast as 20 mph but ordinarily averaged around 15 mph. In addition, the hills north of Atlanta slowed the General down, and Andrews had planned to stop at intermittent points to commit acts of sabotage. These are reasons why the train’s conductor, William Allen Fuller, was able to use a hand car to chase down the General.

The Race Was On!

The locomotive moved along. Whenever Andrews was questioned by station masters, he told them that the General was a northbound ammunition train on its way to Confederate lines. Andrews and his men were delayed at Kingstown, and the pause allowed Fuller to close the distance between him and the General.

Andrews was able to leave Kingstown just before Fuller arrived there. However, the conductor did not give up the chase. He was able to commandeer a locomotive at Etowah (the Yonah), ride it into Kingston, switch to another locomotive, the William R. Smith, and continue the chase. Fuller would later take control of another train, the Texas, and continue after Andrews.

Andrews’ primary objective of sabotaging the rail lines didn’t work out how he wanted it to happen. There were not enough men to do a competent job, and they lacked the tools necessary to destroy railroad stock. They were able to cut some telegraph wires, but burning bridges was out of the question because of the rain. Finally, 18 miles south of Chattanooga, the General ran out of fuel and had to be abandoned. Confederates caught the raiders within two weeks.

The Trial and Executions

Andrews Raiders were all charged with acts of unlawful belligerency, and they were tried in military courts. All civilians were considered unlawful combatants and spies. Andrews was found guilty and hanged on June 7, 1862. Seven others were hanged as well on June 18. Eight raiders escaped and succeeded in reaching Union lines. The remaining raiders were prisoners of war and exchanged on March 17, 1863. Although some were given it posthumously, Union soldiers who participated in the raid were awarded the newly created Medal of Honor. The US House of Representatives passed legislation that retroactively awarded the Medal of Honor to other raiders, but as of 2020, no further action has been taken. Andrews did not receive the Medal of Honor because he was a civilian.

The General survived the war and is now on display at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Was It All Worth It?

The Great Locomotive Chase is an exciting tale full of action and was made into two separate movies. While these were successful in Hollywood, the result of the actual chase was not as spectacular. Andrews Raiders accomplished few of their original objectives.

Mitchel ordered an attack on Chattanooga that resulted in a battle fought from June7-8 1862, but it did not amount to much and Union forces eventually withdrew. Chattanooga would be on the back burner as Union efforts were concentrated on Corinth and Vicksburg until the fall of 1863 when Chattanooga finally fell.