The Great Locomotive Chase occurred during the American Civil War. It took place on the Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&A) which ran from Atlanta, Georgia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee. This event formed the basis of the Buster Keaton silent film The General and a dramatic film, The Great Locomotive Chase .

The chase

On the morning of April 12, 1862, the locomotive General was stopped at Big Shanty (now Kennesaw, Georgia) so that the crew and passengers could have breakfast. James Andrews and his Union raiders (known as Andrew's Raiders), took this opportunity to hijack the General.

The train's conductor, William Fuller , chased the General by foot and handcar. At Etowah , Fuller spotted the Yonah and with it chased them north, all the way up to Kingston. At Kingston, Conductor Fuller got on the William R. Smith and headed north to Adairsville. The tracks 2 miles south of Adairsville were out of service, so Fuller had to run the 2 miles by foot. At Adairsville, Fuller got the locomotive Texas and chased the General.

With the Texas chasing the General in reverse, the chase went right through Dalton, and Tunnel Hill. At various points, Andrew's Raiders were cutting the telegraph wires so no transmissions could go through to Chattanooga. Their objective of burning bridges and dynamiting Tunnel Hill was not accomplished. At milepost 116.3 (north of Ringgold, Georgia), with the locomotive failing, Andrew's Raiders abandoned the General and scattered, just a few miles from Chattanooga.

Andrews and all 21 of his men were caught by the Confederates. Andrews and 7 of his men were tried in Atlanta, found guilty, and executed by hanging; their bodies were buried unceremoniously in an unmarked grave. The very first Medals of Honor were given to the soldiers who died with Andrews; as a civilian, Andrews himself was not eligible.

W & A in modern times

Today, the W&A has not changed much since the chase of 1862. A marker indicating where the chase began is near the Big Shanty Museum in Kennesaw. A marker where the chase ended is at Milepost 116.3, north of Ringgold — which is not far from the recently restored depot at Milepost 114.5.

A monument dedicated to Andrew's Raiders is located at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. There is a scale model of the General on top of the monument, and a brief history of the great locomotive chase. The Texas is on display at the Atlanta Cyclorama.

External links

• A collection of links on the Great Locomotive Chase
• Official website of Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw GA
• The Great Locomotive Chase site by Harper Harris The story told well with paintings, photos, and links.
• The Great Locomotive Chase, story of Andrews Raiders Informative page about the raid including photos, a map and links.