Listen Closely And All Will Be Made Clear Part 2

It was Monday night, April 7th, and a stormy night it was. Twenty-three men met with James Andrews among the trees beside the Wartrace Rd., many seeing him for the first time. He explained the extremely dangerous nature of the mission, telling them that if they should be captured they would most surely be hanged as spies. He gave each a chance to refuse the mission and go back to the camp but none left. He answered their questions. What do we say if someone asks who we are and what we're doing there? Tell them you're from Kentucky and you're looking to join a Confederate regiment. What if they don't believe us, then what? Well, then, join up and escape at your earliest opportunity. As it happened two men did run into someone who asked this very question. They had to join the Confederacy in order to protect the mission. Both eventually escaped and returned to Union lines. This left twenty-one men to travel on to Marietta where they were to join Andrews to begin their adventure. While enroute to Marietta, they traveled in small groups of twos or threes so as not to arouse suspicion, and they had changed their military uniforms for civilian clothes. During the trip the weather was a constant problem, rain, swollen streams and rivers, mud and wind. Andrews felt sure that General Mitchel wouldn't be able to capture Huntsville by the expected time and he was equally sure that some of his men wouldn't make the appointed Thursday, April 10th deadline in Marietta, so he postponed it by one day to Friday, April 11th. The first four to arrive took rooms at a hotel a short distance from the tracks. The rest of the crew took rooms at the Fletcher House (now known as the Kennesaw House) that was much nearer the depot. The next morning, very early, everyone met in Andrews room for a final briefing....everyone except the four in the other hotel. They had failed to pay the attendant to wake them up and so they overslept. Two of them never made it to the train in time to board, leaving nineteen men to accompany Andrews on this daring mission. The other two almost missed the train, managing to arrive just as it was pulling out. Had they missed well, the Great Locomotive Chase would never have happened for, you see, they were the engineers!! Now, why did Andrews choose to steal the General? Well, it wasn't for its beauty, though the General was a fine looking engine. We have no evidence that he knew of the speed or quality of the machine. No, in actuality, Andrews stole the General simply because it was there. He needed a train that was leaving Marietta very early in the morning (about 5 a.m.) and it was absolutely essential that the train be northbound. The General fit the bill nicely and was also carrying several empty freight cars, another necessary ingredient. As for the reason why he chose to steal the train at Big Shanty, that's easy: Big Shanty had no telegraph key. Andrews knew that in order for pursuit to be organized, someone would have to ride to Marietta to send out the message. That takes time, time enough for the Raiders to cut the telegraph wires north of Big Shanty so no warning message could be sent up the line. Time enough to tear up some rails to stop any train pursuing from the south. He also knew that the train always stopped in Big Shanity for breakfast, and that all the crew and most of the passengers would leave the train and go into the cafe. Piece of cake, right? Not exactly. Read on. At this time Big Shanty was also the site of Fort McDonald, a Confederate training camp with hundreds of soldiers all about. Maybe it was an ego thing or maybe it wasn't but it must have been quite a kick knowing he was stealing a Confederate train right from under so many Confederate noses while everyone was enjoying their twenty minute breakfast break. Andrews had all the cars on the train uncoupled except the tender and three empty freight cars. It was customary at that time for northbound trains to carry empty freight cars so that they could bring back needed supplies on their return trip from Chattanooga. The Raiders guards standing only a few dozen yards away were watching yet not realizing what they were seeing so no one sounded the alarm. Andrews thought he had covered everything. His men had complete confidence in him. Nothing could stop them now....except maybe a spunky little conductor named Captain William A. Fuller. Fuller was twenty-six years old, already a seven year veteran of the railroad business and very serious about his job. When he heard his train firing up and moving away without him, he was heard to shout, Someone who has no right to do so has taken our train!! Whereupon he ran out of the cafe followed closely by Engineer Jeff Cain, and Anthony Murphy, foreman of railroad machine shops. Murphy sent a man to Marietta to send a message of alarm, then the three men began to run up the tracks after the train. Ah, another big question: Why would any man in his right mind think he could catch a steaming train by chasing it on foot? In those days, the Confederate government had imposed upon her citizenry the disagreeable practice of Conscription (the Draft). Many men fled conscription by any means possible to them. Captain Fuller had been warned to watch for those fleeing conscription on his train. When the General pulled out, he simply believed it to have been stolen by a group of draft dodgers. Witnesses reported only four men on the train. This was Andrews, the two engineers Knight and Brown, and the fireman Wilson. The witnesses in question had not seen the other sixteen raiders board the empty freight cars. Fuller believed the escaping conscriptionist would take his train only around the first curve, then abandon it, fleeing into the woods for freedom. He ran because he didn't expect to have to run very far. Not finding the train where he expected it, he ran on until he found a pole car near Moon Station. He mounted the car and then poled back to pick up Cain and Murphy who were not as athletic as he and had fallen behind. Together they poled their way back up the tracks. Near Moon's Station, Andrews stopped to borrow some tools from a gang of workmen. The Raiders were trying to look inconspicuous as they were traveling south before the raid, so they had not been able to bring any tools with them that could be used in tearing up rails. Here they were able to get a large pry bar that, though not the very best for their purposes, was better than no tools at all. Andrews stopped the General long enough to damage the rails just north of Moon's Station. In their haste, Fuller and his crew didn't see the damage in time and were thrown, pole car and all, down the bank into a deep ditch. Quickly putting the car back on the tracks, they rushed on, having gained the reinforcement of two more men, Stokley and Smith. They soon saw the smoke of an old engine that was just up the line at Etowah. The Yonah belonged to the Coopers Iron Works and was just firing up, getting ready for a good days work. Fuller commandeered the Yonah, gaining even more reinforcements, a number of armed Confederate soldiers. Roll on, Mr. Fuller, roll on!! Whoa!!, you say, if the Yonah was there and ready to roll, why didn't Andrews destroy it to prevent pursuit? The very question Andrews men had asked, and Andrews said it really wouldn't make any difference to their mission. It should be understood that, at this time, the Raiders had no idea they were being pursued. After all, Andrews plan had allowed for that problem and they had complete confidence in their leader. Stopping at Cassvile Station, the General took on wood and water. Andrews was so persuasive as to convince the station tender, William Russell, to furnish him a railroad schedule. Andrews told the tender that he was running much needed powder to General Beaureguard at Corinth Mississippi, and must get through as soon as possible. Russell was a very loyal Confederate and was only too glad to help anyway he could. Armed with this schedule, Andrews thought he was home free, he would have no trouble negotiating the oncoming trains and rail yard switches. Think again, James. You see because the rails were busy on this day with unscheduled trains, all rushing south to Atlanta, they were moving all their rolling stock out of Chattanooga to prevent the Union forces from capturing them. Had the raid taken place on Friday, as originally planned, everything would have worked to Andrews advantage, but not this day, Saturday April 12th, 1862. The Kingston, Georgia's rail yards were a mess. Extra trains were blocking the tracks. Everything was in an uproar. Andrews told the powder story again and insisted that he be allowed to continue right away, but still there was a delay of just over an hour. The elderly switch keeper was in a very bad mood that day and refused to change the switch to allow the General out of the yard until Andrews could prove the truth of his story. So Andrews changed the switch himself and finally got his train back in motion. Meanwhile Cpt. Fuller and his squad were catching up, and arrived at the Kingston station only five minutes after the General pulled out. As the Yonah couldn't get through the congested yard with any speed, Fuller and Murphy jumped out to find a way to proceed. Murphy wanted to take command of the New York, an engine that was waiting in the yard, but Fuller opted for the William R. Smith, a train that had just come in on the Rome Railroad. Fuller started out in such a hurry that Murphy, seeing what Fuller was doing, had to run to get on board. In fairness to Mr. Murphy, the New York was a fine train and would have been much faster than the William R. Smith because it had bigger wheels, but the William R. Smith was headed in the right direction, and the Rome Railroad connected to the W&A north of the crowded yard. It was simply easier. After leaving Kingston, Andrews told his crew to throw open the General's throttle and let'er fly. He needed to reach Adairsville quickly in order to pass two trains that the schedule showed were already overdue. One was the Texas, a southbound freight. The other was the Catoosa, a southbound passenger train. They should be waiting at the Adairsville station for Mr. Fuller's mail train. Fearing pursuit from Kingston, another stop was made to damage the rails just south of Adairsville. Meanwhile other Raiders were taking on board a large pile of ties that were stored nearby. It was while lifting a rail, that a most fearful sound was heard by Andrews and his men: the sound of a distant train approaching from the South!! Giving an extra effort, the rail was finally removed, and everyone again on board. The General was now running flat out to Adairsville. Sure enough, the Texas was waiting at Adairsville for Mr. Fuller's train. The General was stopped and Andrews attempted to gain information about the southbound passenger train that was still to come. No news was forthcoming, so Andrews advised the Texas that Fuller was probably waiting for them at Kingston and that it would be safe to precede, Andrews knowing the track was damaged just south of town. Hurrying on to Calhoun, Andrews ran the risk of meeting the Catoosa in a head on crash, but he had no time to worry about that now. He was praying the Catoosa would wait at Calhoun. His worst fears almost realized, as the Catoosa gave up waiting for Fuller's train to arrive as scheduled. She was already pulling out on the main line when she heard the General's whistle blowing frantically. Her crew backed a short ways back up the tracks to allow the General to enter the sidetrack, but the Catoosa was so long as to block the General's exit at the other end trapping the spies again. Andrews tried every kind of persuasion to get the Catoosa to move but the conductor refused so Andrews told the powder story again and explained his urgency, but no go. The conductor would not move his train. Finally Andrews ordered him, in no uncertain terms, to move that train!!! The conductor complied and the General was again on the way. Ok now where does that leave us? The General is finally rolling northward, thinking there are no more southbound trains (according to the schedule, at least). The Texas and the Catoosa are between Andrews and the pursuing Cpt. Fuller. It's clear sailing now, boys! Well, maybe, maybe not.