On April 12, 1862, Capt. Jas. J. Andrews, twenty volunteers from Sill's Brigade of Mitchell's Corps, U.S.A., and a citizen of Kentucky, all dressed as civilians, captured the locomotive General at Big Shanty while the train crew and passengers were taking breakfast. Their purpose was to destroy bridges on the Western & Atlantic R.R. and cut off the Confederate Army from its base supplies. Conductor W.A. Fuller, accompanied by Engineer Jeff Cain and Anthony Murphy, foreman of the W. & A. shops, began pursuit on foot, soon secured a hand car, and despite obstructions placed on the track by Andrews' raiders, made rapid progress. They found the engine Yonah at Etowah, and the pursuit became so rapid that serious damage to the railroad by the raiders was impossible. The General was abandoned that afternoon because of lack of fuel and the close pursuit of Fuller and his party. Jas. J. Andrews of Flemingsburg, Kentucky, M.A. Ross, G.D. Wilson, C.P. Shadrach, J.M. Scott, S. Slavens, S. Robertson, and W.H. Campbell were executed in Atlanta as spies; Jno. A. Wilson, Mark Wood, J.R. Porter, W.W. Brown, Wm. Knight, D.A. Dorsey, Martin Hawkins, and John Wollam escaped from prison and reached the Union lines; and Wm. Pittenger, Jacob Parrott, Wm. H. Reddick, Rob Buffum, Wm. Bensinger, and E.H. Mason were exchanged from Libby Prison. Prominent among the pursuers were Smith, Steve Stokely, Peter Bracken, F. Cox, A. Martin, and H. Haney.

Photo: Dale K. Benington

Photo: Dale K. Benington