NP, NOTP 4/24/1862

From the New Orleans Times Picayune
 
April 24, 1862
 
The Raid on the Georgia State Railroad
   An unusual pressure of special correspondence excluded from our columns hitherto the story of the extraordinary raid of Lincolnites on the Georgia State, or Western & Atlantic, Railroad, between Atlanta, Ga., and Chattanooga, Tenn. This affair is, however, of such a character, so novel, and daring, and attended with such interesting circumstances, that we give it a place in the Picayune, even at this late day. The whole history of the affair, from its inception to the capture of the last gang of the desperadoes, will be found annexed:
   The Augusta Constitutionalist, of the 15th, says:
   The bridge burners, for such it appears they were, came to Atlanta on the Friday night train, and desired to be waked up early next morning to go to Big Shanty. They were eight in number, and, it is said, were sent by Gen. Mitchel, the Federal commander at Shelbyville, Tenn., to destroy the railroad bridges along the route, so as to prevent reinforcements being sent to the Confederates in Tennessee.
   On this point we have the following additional from the Knoxville Register, of the 16th:
   A number of Federal troops, (Ohioans) had been detailed from Mitchel's command to go down into Georgia, in disguise, burn railroad bridges and destroy telegraph lines. They passed down the road one day last week, telling the conductor that they were parties of two Tennessee companies who had escaped from the fight at Fort Donelson; but as they were liberally provided with funds, and did not claim the exemptions due to Confederate soldiers traveling over our railroads, the conductor's suspicions were excited, and when they returned on Saturday, he kept an eye on the party.
   As to the final disposition of those fellows, we have the following from the Atlanta Intelligencer, of the 17th:
   Six of the Yankee spies and bridge burners who had been engaged in running off with the engine on the State Road last Saturday, and who had been in jail at Marietta, were sent on yesterday to Chattanooga, well ironed and guarded, to the care of Gen. Ledbetter, the Confederate officer now in command at that point.
   The Huntsville Advocate, of the 16th, says: We learn from private sources that seventeen of the steam engine stealers on the State Road, had been arrested within twenty miles of Chattanooga. Two succeeded in escaping.
   We thus condense the account of adventures on railroad, as given in the Atlanta Confederacy of the 15th:
   We will begin at the breakfast table of the Big Shanty Hotel at Camp McDonald on the W. & A. R. R., where several regiments of soldiers are now encamped. The morning mail and passenger train left here at 4 A. M. on last Saturday morning as usual, and had stopped there for breakfast. The conductor, Wm. A. Fuller, the engineer, J. Cain -- both of this city -- and the passengers were at the table when some eight men, having uncoupled the engine and three empty box cars next to it from the passenger and baggage cars, mounted the engine, pulled open the valve, put on all steam, and left conductor, engineer, passengers, spectators, and the soldiers in the camp hard by, all lost in amazement and dumbfounded at the strange, startling and daring act.
   The conductor, engineer and the foreman of the wood department in the road shop, Mr. Anthony Murphy, who happened to be on the train that morning, put out after the flying train, on foot, amidst the shouts of laughter by the crowd, who, though lost in amazement at the unexpected and daring act, could not repress their risibility at seeing three men start after a train on foot, which they had just witnessed depart at lightening speed. They put on all their speed and ran along the track for three miles, when they came across some track raisers who had a small truck car. This truck and men were at once "impressed." They took it by turns of two at a time to run behind this truck and push it along all up grades and level portions of the road, and let it drive at will on all the down grades. A little way further up the fugitives adventurers had stopped, cut the telegraph wires and torn up the track. Here the pursers were thrown off pell mell, truck and men, upon the side of the road. Fortunately "nobody was hurt on our side." The truck was soon placed on the road again; enough hands were left to repair the track, and with all the power of determined will and muscle, they pushed on to Etowah Station, some twenty miles above.
   Here, most fortunately, Major Cooper's old coal engine was standing out, fired up. This locomotive was immediately turned upon her old track, and made fine time to Kingston.
   The fugitives, not expecting such early pursuit, quietly took in wood and water at Cass Station, and borrowed a schedule from the tank tender upon the plausible plea that they were running a pressed train, loaded with powder for Beauregard. Mr. William Russell said he gave them his schedule, and would have sent the shirt off his back to Beauregard, if it had been asked for. When they arrived at Kingston they stopped, went to the agent there, told the powder story, readily got the switch key, went on the upper turn-out, and waited for the down way freight train to pass. To all inquiries they replied with the same powder story. When the freight train had passed, they immediately proceeded on to the next station -- Adairsville -- where they were to meet the regular down freight train. At some point on the way they had taken on some fifty cross-ties, and before reaching Adairsville they stopped on a curve, tore up the rails, and put seven cross-ties on the track -- no doubt intending to wreck this down freight train, which would be along in a few minutes. They had out upon the engine a red handkerchief, as a kind of flag or signal, which, in railroading, means another train is behind, thereby indicating to all that the regular passenger train would be along presently. They stopped a moment at Adairsville, and said Fuller with the regular passenger train, was behind, and would wait at Kingston for the freight train, and told the conductor thereon to push ahead and meet him at that point. They passed on to Calhoun, where they met the down passenger train, due here at 4:20 P. M., and without making any stop, they proceeded on -- on, and on. 
   The pursuers, arriving at Kingston, and learning the adventurers were but twenty minutes ahead, they left the "Yonah" to blow off, while they mounted the engine of the Rome branch road. A large party of gentlemen volunteered for the chase, taking such arms as they could lay their hands on at the moment; and with this fresh engine they set out with all speed. They discovered this side of Adairsville three rails torn up and other impediments in the way. They "took up" in time to prevent an accident, but could proceed with the train no further. Fuller and Murphy left the engine and again put out on foot alone! After running two miles they met the down freight train, one mile out from Adairsville. They immediately reversed the train and ran backwards to Adairsville -- put the cars on the siding and pressed forward, making fine time to Calhoun, where they met the regular down passenger train. Here they halted a moment, took on board a telegraph operator, and a number of men who again volunteered, taking their guns along, and continued the chase. Mr. Fuller also took on here a company of track hands to repair the track as they went along. A short distance above Calhoun they flushed their game on a curve, where they doubtless supposed themselves out of danger, and were quietly oiling the engine, taking up the track, &c. Discovering that they were pursued, they mounted and sped away, throwing out upon the track as they went along the heavy cross-ties they had prepared themselves with. This was done by breaking out the end of the hindmost box car, and pitching them out. Thus, "nip and tuck," they passed with fearful speed Resaca, Tilten, and on through Dalton.
   At Dalton Fuller put off the telegraph operator, with instructions to telegraph to Chattanooga to have them stopped, in case he should fail to overhaul them. The daring adventurers stopped just opposite and very near to where Colonel Glenn's regiment is incamped, and cut the wires, but the operator at Dalton had put the message through about two minutes before. They also again tore up the track, cut down a telegraph pole, and placed the two ends of it under the cross-ties, and the middle over the rail on the track. The pursuers stopped again and got over this impediment, in the same manner they did before -- taking up rails behind and laying them down before. Once over this, they shot on, and passed through the great tunnel, at Tunnel Hill, being there only five minutes behind. The fugitives still finding themselves closely pursued, uncoupled two of the box cars from the engine, to impede the progress of the pursuers. Fuller hastily coupled them to the front of his engine, and pushed them ahead of him, to the first turn-out or siding, where they were left.
   Thus the engine thieves passed Ringgold, where they began to fag. They were out of wood, water and oil. Their rapid running and inattention to the engine, had melted all the brass from the journals, Fuller and his party soon came within 400 yards of them, when the fugitives jumped from the engine and left it -- three on the north side and five on the south -- all fleeing precipitately, and scattering through the thicket. Fuller and his party also took to the woods after them.
   Some gentlemen, also well armed, took the engine and some cars of the down passenger train at Calhoun, and followed up Fuller and Murphy and their party in the chase but a short distance behind, and reached the place of the stampede but a very few moments after the first pursuers did. A large number of men were soon mounted, armed, and scouring the entire country in search of them. Fortunately, there was a militia muster at Ringgold. A great many countrymen were in town. Hearing of the chase, they put out on foot and on horseback in every direction, in search of the daring but now thoroughly frightened and fugitive men.
   Six of them were soon captured.

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