|
 James J. Andrews
N 35° 02.051 W 085° 17.192
16S E 656299 N 3878175
James Andrews was the leader of a group of Union Spies who in 1862 stole a locomotive called "The General" and started what has become known as "The Great Locomotive Chase."
Waymark Code: WM3FBK
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 03/28/2008
Views: 81
On April 12 1862 a locomotive called The General was stopped at Big Shanty (present day Kennesaw, Georgia) and the passengers and crew were having breakfast at the nearby Lacy Hotel. While the train was stopped a group of northern spies led by civilian James J. Andrews board The General and headed north toward Chattanooga in hopes to destroy the Confederate supply lines. The General was pursued first on foot by conductor William A. Fuller. After running about 2-miles Fuller boarded a “pole car” and continued his pursuit of the stolen locomotive. Finally, Fuller was able to board the Locomotive “Texas” and continue his pursuit. With Fuller in close pursuit “The General” low on wood and water, lost steam preasure and came to a halt about two miles north of Ringold, Georgia. Andrews and his raiders abandoned the locomotive and attempted to flee but were apprehended a short time later. James Andrews was hung on June 6, 1862, and 6 other raiders were later convicted as spies and hung. Eight of the raiders would be confined to a prisoner of war camp and later exchanged. All of Andrews Raiders, with the exception of Andrews were awarded the Medal of Honor. Andrews was a civilian and not eligible to receive the Medal of Honor. James Andrew and several of his raiders are buried in the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee. For more information on The Great Locomotive Chase: ( visit link) ( visit link)
Description:
James Andrews was born about 1829 in Holiday's Cove, Virginia (now Weirton, West Virginia). He moved to Kentucky, where he found employment as a house painter. During the Civil War, he was engaged in buying contraband merchandise (including quinine) and smuggling it between the military lines. While serving as an agent and scout for Major General Don Carlos Buel in Nashville, he devised a plan to take eight men to steal a train in Atlanta, Georgia, and drive it north. They would disrupt Confederate communications in western Tennessee and burn the long railroad bridge over the Tennessee River at Bridgeport. The mission failed when the required engineer failed to show up at the designated meeting place.
In April 1862, Andrews proposed a new plan to Maj. Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchel to seize a locomotive in northern Georgia and drive it to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he would rendezvous with Mitchel's attacking Union army. On April 12, 1862, Andrews, another civilian, William "Bill" Campbell, and 22 volunteers from three Ohio infantry regiments dressed in civilian clothes, stole a locomotive known as The General at Big Shanty, near present day Kennesaw, Georgia. They headed north, destroying tracks and telegraph wires along the way in an effort to discourage pursuers and render the railroad useless for supplying the Confederate troops in Tennessee. William Allen Fuller, the conductor of The General pursued the train hijackers on foot, by handcar, and in a variety of other locomotives, most notably the "Texas", in which he gave chase for 51 miles in reverse. After an 87-mile chase, the General lost power just north of Ringgold, Georgia, and Andrews and his raiders scattered. He was captured soon afterwards and identified as the leader. James Andrews was tried in Chattanooga and hanged as a spy. He and several of his raiders are buried in Section H of the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Date of birth: 01/01/1829
Date of death: 06/07/1862
Area of notoriety: Historical Figure
Marker Type: Headstone
Setting: Outdoor
Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daylight Hours - Daily
Fee required?: No
Web site: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log for waymarks in this category, you must have personally visited the waymark location. When logging your visit, please provide a note describing your visit experience, along with any additional information about the waymark or the surrounding area that you think others may find interesting.
We especially encourage you to include any pictures that you took during your visit to the waymark. However, only respectful photographs are allowed. Logs which include photographs representing any form of disrespectful behavior (including those showing personal items placed on or near the grave location) will be subject to deletion.
|