The General
During
the summer of 1952 our state Capitol, Frankfort, had a visit from this
historic train. I took this picture with my Kodak camera, little did I
realize that 58 years later I would draw this historic train.
Western
& Atlantic Railroad #3 General is a 4-4-0 "American" type steam
locomotive built in 1855 by the Rogers, Ketchum & Grosvenor in
Paterson, New Jersey for the Western & Atlantic Railroad, best known
as the engine stolen by Union spies in the Great Locomotive Chase. This
was an attempt to cripple the Confederate rail network during the
American Civil War. Today, the locomotive is preserved at the Southern
Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia, and is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Great
Locomotive Chase (also known as the Andrews' Raid or Mitchel Raid) was a
military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during
the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian
scout James J. Andrews, commandeered a train, The General, and took it
northward toward Chattanooga, Tennessee, doing as much damage as
possible to the vital Western and Atlantic Railroad (W&A) line from
Atlanta to Chattanooga as they went. They were pursued by Confederate
forces at first on foot, and later on a succession of locomotives,
including The Texas, for 87 miles (140 km).
Because the Union men
had cut the telegraph wires, the Confederates could not send warnings
ahead to forces along the railway. Confederates eventually captured the
raiders and quickly executed some as spies, including Andrews; some
others were able to flee. Some of the raiders were the first to be
awarded the Medal of Honor by the US Congress for their actions. As a
civilian, Andrews was not eligible.
In 1958 Walt Disney made the movie "The Great Locomotive Chase". I well remember going with my dad to see the movie.