The Great Locomotive Chase
On April 12, 1862, twenty Union soldiers dressed as civilians walked into a Georgia train station with a wild plan. Led by spy James Andrews, they would steal a locomotive called The General and race north to Chattanooga, ripping up railroad tracks behind them.
The mission failed spectacularly when Confederate forces gave chase in another engine. Eight raiders were hanged as spies.
Here’s what happened, preserved today at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History.
The Secret Plan Behind the Raid
James Andrews worked as a Kentucky merchant before the war. He often crossed battle lines with goods to sell, which made him perfect for spying.
Andrews created his raid plan for General Mitchel in spring 1862. Mitchel led Union forces in Tennessee and wanted to capture Chattanooga.
The plan targeted the railroad that supplied Confederate troops in Chattanooga. Andrews would lead men to steal a train, damage tracks, burn bridges, and cut telegraph wires.
Mitchel approved the plan. Andrews gathered 22 soldiers from Ohio units plus another civilian named William Campbell. Many had worked on railroads before the war.
How the Raiders Snuck Behind Enemy Lines
The Union volunteers traveled in small groups of two or three men. They wore regular clothes and carried fake identification papers.
When stopped by Confederate guards, they claimed to be from Kentucky and looking to join Southern army units. This story worked for most of the men.
Confederate soldiers caught two men before they reached their meeting point in Marietta, Georgia. Two more men overslept at their hotel on the morning of April 12 and missed the mission completely.
The remaining 20 met Andrews in Marietta, ready to start. They bought tickets for the morning train to Chattanooga.
The Moment They Stole The General
The raiders boarded the morning passenger train in Marietta on April 12. The engine pulling the train was a steam locomotive named The General.
Andrews chose Big Shanty station, now called Kennesaw, as the theft location. This small station had no telegraph, so no one could send a warning when the theft happened.
When the train stopped for breakfast at the Lacy Hotel around 6:00 AM, passengers and crew went inside to eat. The raiders stayed behind, disconnected most passenger cars, and took control.
They pulled away with just the engine, its fuel car, and three empty boxcars, leaving confused passengers behind.
The Determined Pursuit Begins
Conductor William Fuller saw his train moving away while eating breakfast. He ran out with engineer Jeff Cain and foreman Anthony Murphy.
Fuller chased the train on foot, running more than two miles up the tracks. Murphy headed to Marietta to send a telegraph alarm.
North of Big Shanty, Fuller found track workers with a handcar. These small platforms ran on rails and were pushed by hand pumps.
Fuller and his crew pumped the handcar northward. The raiders had cut telegraph wires, so Fuller became the only warning system for stations ahead.
The Delays That Doomed the Raiders
Andrews planned to stop only between stations to avoid raising alarm. At Kingston, 30 miles north, the raiders hit an unexpected problem.
The station manager told Andrews that southbound freight trains had right-of-way on the single track. Andrews claimed he carried ammunition for Confederate General Beauregard.
Despite this story, the raiders waited over an hour for three unscheduled southbound trains. These trains carried supplies being moved because of the approaching Union army.
This delay proved fatal. The General left Kingston just minutes before Fuller arrived on a locomotive he had taken during his chase.
Fuller’s Changing Locomotives
Fuller showed remarkable determination. When the raiders damaged tracks and derailed his handcar, he continued on foot until reaching the next station.
At Etowah Station, Fuller took the locomotive Yonah from a nearby iron works. This engine carried him to Kingston quickly.
At Kingston, Fuller switched to another locomotive, the William R. Smith. When this engine hit damaged tracks, Fuller again went forward on foot.
Near Adairsville, Fuller found the passenger locomotive Texas. Without turning it around, Fuller chased the General with the Texas running backward.
The Sabotage Attempts During the Chase
The raiders stopped often to damage the railroad. They cut telegraph wires at many places to prevent messages from reaching stations ahead.
Andrews had a crowbar to pry up rails. The raiders removed some track sections but lacked proper tools to work quickly.
They used the locomotive to pull down telegraph poles by tying ropes and driving away. The railroad’s single telegraph line carried all messages between Atlanta and Chattanooga.
As Fuller got closer, the raiders dropped railroad ties onto the tracks. Fuller’s crew cleared these obstacles without much delay.
The Failed Bridge Burning Attempt
The main goal was destroying bridges to cut the rail line. The raiders tried to burn the wooden bridge over the Oostanaula River near Resaca.
They placed wood and fuel on the bridge but Fuller came too close for them to light it properly. The damp spring weather made burning difficult.
Later, the raiders set a boxcar on fire and tried to leave it on the Chickamauga Creek bridge. They hoped the burning car would set the bridge on fire.
Fuller’s crew pushed the burning car off the bridge with their locomotive, preventing any damage. The raiders never destroyed a single bridge.
When the General Ran Out of Steam
The raiders needed to stop for water and wood fuel, but Fuller’s close pursuit prevented proper refueling. The locomotive needed constant feeding.
Near Ringgold, Georgia, just 18 miles from Chattanooga, the General’s steam pressure dropped too low. The locomotive slowed and stopped at milepost 116.3.
Andrews told his men to abandon the train and escape through the woods. Each man was on his own, trying to find his way back to Union lines.
The chase covered about 87 miles in seven hours, a long distance for 1862 train travel. The Texas stopped right behind the abandoned General.
The Capture and Fate of the Raiders
Confederate forces caught all 22 raiders within two weeks. Search parties combed the countryside, and local citizens helped find the fleeing men.
The Confederate military court charged them with being spies since they wore civilian clothes during a military mission. This was a serious charge during wartime.
On June 7, James Andrews was hanged in Atlanta. Seven more raiders were hanged on June 18. Their bodies were buried in unmarked graves.
Eight raiders escaped from prison in Atlanta. The remaining men became prisoners of war until they were traded for Confederate prisoners in March 1863.
Visiting Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
You’ll find The General at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in downtown Kennesaw, Georgia. The museum offers daily guided tours where you can see the actual locomotive from the 1862 raid.
The Frey exhibit hall houses numerous artifacts from the Andrews Raiders, including pocket watches and diaries. Children enjoy the interactive railroad workspace where they can design their own train routes.
Photography without flash is permitted throughout the museum. The gift shop sells books about the Great Locomotive Chase and model train replicas. Free parking surrounds the museum building. The Texas locomotive awaits you at the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead.
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