One of the most famous steam locomotives in America was named "The General." It was built in 1855 for the Western & Atlantic Railroad, but gained its fame in 1862 during the Civil War. In an attempt to capture Chattanooga, Union forces proposed a plan to block any Confederate reinforcements reaching them from Atlanta. The plan called for James J. Andrews to lead a covert group of 22 Union raiders to destroy the Western and Atlantic Railroad as a means of reinforcement from Atlanta thus isolating the enemy forces. They traveled in small groups, all dressed as civilians to mingle with the population. On April 12, 1862, they boarded a passenger train that had stopped for breakfast at the Lacy Hotel. The train was pulled by "the General" and was quickly commandeered along with three boxcars. As the trained pulled out, its conductor, William Allen Fuller, along with two other men chased the train traveling at its normal 15 miles per hour. North of Big Shanty, they took a handcar and were able to keep pace given the steep grades along the way. At Etowah, Fuller commandeered the small locomotive "Yonah" and gave chase to Andrew's raiders all the way to Kingston. There, Fuller switched to another locomotive called the "William R. Smith" and continued the chase north towards Adairsville. Fuller and his men were stopped two miles south of Adairsville after the raiders damaged the tracks. Again, Fuller and his men were on foot. Beyond the damaged section, he commandeered another locomotive "Texas" south of Calhoun, and picked up eleven Confederate troops and continued the pursuit. With the two trains in close proximity, they roared through Dalton and Tunnel Hill and finally ran out of fuel north of Ringgold, Georgia.
Andrews and his raiders had no choice but to abandon the "General" and scatter into the surrounding woods. He and his men were captured within two weeks. They were all charged as spies and with sabotage and Andrews along with seven of his men were executed. Their bodies were buried in unmarked graves, but were later reburied in the Chattanooga National Cemetery. Eight other escaped and returned to the Union lines. The remaining six were exchanged for Confederate prisoners in 1863. All but two of the Union soldiers, both dead or deceased, received the Nation's first Medal of Honors. As civilians, Andrews and one other were not eligible for the medal. During the Battle of Atlanta in 1864, the "General" was purposely rammed into boxcars of ammunition to deprived Union forces from using it.
After the war, the "General" was repaired and continued its service with the Western & Atlantic. By 1880, it was given the number "3," because it was the third oldest engine used by the company and still carries this number today. In 1957, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad acquired the "General" to celebrate the American Civil War Centennial. During the 1960's the train traveled to various places across the eastern US, including Pensacola, Florida in 1963. Below, is the "General" at the L&N depot at Wright and Alcaniz Streets across from today's Pensacola Civic Center.
The "General" at the L&N Depot at Wright and Alcaniz Streets 1963
The famous Civil War locomotive "The General"
The 1956 Movie that immortalized "The Great Locomotive Chase" Starring
Fess Parker, Jeffrey Hunter, and Harry Carey Jr.