approaching a covered wooden bridge across the Chickamauga River, so he orders the last boxcar set on fire and then uncouples it in the middle of the covered wooden bridge. But wet wood and the hours of steady rain prevent this last attempt to stop the Texas from working. After a frantic dash through Ringgold, the Raiders are out of fuel and the General loses power. Andrews orders his men to jump from the train and find their own way back north to Union lines. The mission failed because of the dogged pursuit by the General’s conductor, William Fuller. Of the Raiders, 16 were captured and eight were able to escape back to the safety of the Union. Of the captured men, eight were taken to Atlanta (including James Andrews), where they were hanged. In 1863, Secretary of War Stanton awarded the newly approved Medal of Honor to the surviving Union Army Raiders to acknowledge their “Acts of Valor” during the race. Due to a confusion of names, two other surviving Raiders were accidentally passed over but, 161 years later, they were finally awarded their medals posthumously on July 3, 2024 by President Biden. All the events in this article actually happened and are based on eyewitness accounts by William Pittenger, one of Andrews Raiders. His book, “Capturing a locomotive” describes the events of the day. You can read it at: https://archive. org/details/capturingalocomo36752gut – choose to download it as an html file. Some of the dialogue in this article is based on Pittenger’s account. A number of “Chase” sites are accessible from Interstate-75: • Exit 273W - Kennesaw (Big Shanty) Southern Museum of Locomotive History, now home of the General • Exit 288W - Cartersville and remains of the Etowah River bridge • Exit 306W - Adairsville Station • Exit 320E - Resaca Station • Exit 333E - Dalton • Exit 341W - Tunnel Hill • Exit 345E - Ringgold Station Want to learn how to drive a Civil War-era steam locomotive? Visit: www.youtube. com/watch?v=KQd66DWKo9c Engraving (1863). Andrews casts off last oxcar towards the Texas and attempts to fire the bridge crossing the Chickamauga River Ringgold: The General runs out steam and fuel, and with the Texas in sight, Andrews’ Raiders scatter to try and reach Union lines before being captured. (Picture courtesy of Georgia Tourism) CSANews | FALL 2024 | 23 Travel
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