Consternation Along the Route--Wood and Water--Attempt to Fire the
Train--Partial Failure--Message Sent to Chattanooga--Terrific
Preparations--Abandon the Train--A Capital Error--In the Woods--A
Thrilling Account of the Chase from the Atlanta "_Southern
Confederacy_."
All this time we were rushing through towns and villages at terrific
speed. Some passengers came down when they heard our whistle, to go
aboard, but they all shrank back amazed when they saw us pass with the
noise of thunder, and the speed of lightning. Still more were they
astonished when they saw three other trains dashing by in close
pursuit, and loaded with excited soldiers. Thus the break-neck chase
continued through Dalton, Ringgold, and the other small towns on the
route.
But it soon became evident that it could not continue much longer. We
had taken on wood and water before we were so closely pressed, but now
our supply was nearly exhausted, and our pursuers were too close
behind to permit us to replenish it. But before yielding, we resolved
to try one more expedient.
For this purpose, we broke open the forward end of the only box-car we
had left, and with the fragments endeavored to kindle a fire in it.
Had we succeeded, we would have detached it, left it burning on a
bridge, and run on with the locomotive alone. But the fuel on the
latter was too nearly gone to afford us kindling wood, and the draught
through the car, caused by our rapid motion, blew our matches out. At
length we succeeded in kindling a small fire; but the drizzling rain,
which had been falling all morning, blew in on it, and prevented it
from burning rapidly enough to be of any service.
Thus our last hope expired, and our magnificent scheme, on which we
had so long thought and toiled, was a failure. But one thing more now
remained--to save ourselves, if possible.
We were within, perhaps, fifteen miles of Chattanooga, when we
resolved to abandon the engine. Having made this resolve, we did not
cut the telegraph wire, and then, for the first time, they succeeded
in sending a message ahead of us.
This was no serious detriment to us, but it raised the wildest
excitement in Chattanooga. The women and children instantly fled from
the town, and sought safety in the woods and mountains. The whole
military force, which was encamped near the place, came out, and
selected an advantageous position to meet us. There they planted
cannon, felled trees across the track, tore up the rails for some
distance, and waited for our approach. Their orders were for them to
make a general massacre--not to spare a single man. But we came not,
and therefore they had no opportunity to display their latent cruelty.
It was at this point, when he saw every scheme we attempted to execute
completely foiled, that Andrews' presence of mind, for a time, seemed
to desert him. It was only fifteen miles across the country to the
Tennessee river, and we could have reached it ahead of any opposition,
had we all stuck together. One man had a compass, and with that, and
Andrews' knowledge of the country, we could have gained, and crossed
the Tennessee, and struck into the mountains beyond, before the
country could have been aroused around us. Once there, in those
interminable forests, it would have been almost impossible for them to
capture us, well armed as we were, before we could have reached the
shelter of our army. But this was not done, and this last chance of
escape was lost.
The locomotive was run on till the wood and water were completely
exhausted, and the pursuers plainly in view. Then Andrews gave the
order for us to leave the train, disperse, and for every man to save
himself, if he could. We obeyed, jumping off the train while still in
motion, and were soon making the best of our way through the tangled
pines of Georgia.
Before giving an account of our adventures in the woods, I will insert
the following article from the "_Southern Confederacy_," of April 15,
1862, a paper published in Atlanta, Georgia, only three days after our
adventure. This I purloined from the officer in charge of us, and
carried concealed about my clothes all the time I remained in the
South. It contains a good many errors of statement, particularly where
it refers to our numbers and plans, but is valuable as showing the
estimate the rebels placed on our enterprise, and as giving their
ideas of the chase. It also represents us as tearing up the railroad
many more times than we did. In _no case_ did they take up rails
behind, and lay them down before their train. This assertion was made
to give Messrs. Fuller and Murphy more credit at our expense. So
highly were the services of these gentlemen appreciated, that the
Georgia State Legislature, in the fall of 1862, gave them a vote of
thanks, and recommended the Governor to grant them the highest
offices in his gift. I do not know what they actually did receive.
Below is the account:
THE GREAT RAILROAD CHASE!
_The Most Extraordinary and Astounding Adventure of the
War--The Most Daring Undertaking that Yankees ever Planned
or Attempted to Execute--Stealing an Engine--Tearing up the
Track--Pursued on Foot, on Hand-Cars, and
Engines--Overtaken--A Scattering--The Capture--The Wonderful
Energy of Messrs. Fuller, Murphy and Cain--Some Reflections,
&c., &c._
FULL PARTICULARS!!
Since our last issue, we have obtained full particulars of
the most thrilling railroad adventure that ever occurred on
the American continent, as well as the mightiest and most
important in its results, if successful, that has been
conceived by the Lincoln Government since the commencement
of this war. Nothing on so grand a scale has been attempted,
and nothing within the range of possibility could be
conceived, that would fall with such a tremendous, crushing
force upon us, as the accomplishment of the plans which
were concocted and dependent on the execution of the one
whose history we now proceed to narrate.
Its _reality_--_what was actually done_--excels all the
extravagant _conceptions_ of the Arrow-Smith hoax, which
fiction created such a profound sensation in Europe.
To make the matter more complete and intelligible, we will
take our readers over the same history of the case which we
related in our last, the main features of which are correct,
but are lacking in details, which have since come to hand.
We will begin at the breakfast-table of the Big Shanty Hotel
at Camp McDonald, on the Western and Atlantic Railroad,
where several regiments of soldiers are now encamped. The
morning mail and passenger train had left here at four A.
M., on last Saturday morning, as usual, and had stopped
there for breakfast. The conductor, William A. Fuller; the
engineer, I. 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.
This unheard-of act was, doubtless, undertaken at that place
and time upon the presumption that pursuit could not be made
by an engine short of Kingston, some thirty miles above, or
from this place; and that by cutting down the telegraph
wires as they proceeded, the adventurers could calculate on
at least three or four hours' start of any pursuit it was
reasonable to expect. This was a legitimate conclusion, and
but for the will, energy, and quick good judgment of Mr.
Fuller, and Mr. Cain, and Mr. Anthony Murphy, the
intelligent and practical foreman of the wood department of
the State Road shop, who accidentally went on the train from
this place that morning, their calculations would have
worked out as originally contemplated, and the results would
have been obtained long ere this reaches the eye of our
readers--the most terrible to us of any that we can conceive
as possible, and unequaled by any attempted or conceived
since this war commenced.
Now for the chase!
These three determined men, without a moment's delay, put
out after the flying train--_on foot_, amidst 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 lightning 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, which is shoved along by men so
employed on railroads, on which to carry their tools. 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 fugitive adventurers had stopped, cut the
telegraph wires, and torn up the track. Here the pursuers
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, the
"Yonah"--one of the first engines on the State road--was
standing out, fired up. This venerable locomotive was
immediately turned upon her own track, and like an old
racer, at the tap of the drum, pricked up her ears 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. The attentive and patriotic tank-tender, 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. Here the adventurous fugitives inquired
which end of the switch they should go in on at Kingston.
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.
But we must return to Fuller and his party, whom we have
unconsciously left on the old "Yonah," making their way to
Kingston.
Arriving there, 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, which was ready
fired up, and waiting for the arrival of the passenger train
nearly due, when it would have proceeded to Rome. A large
party of gentlemen volunteered for the chase, some at
Acworth, Altoona, Kingston, and other points, taking such
arms as they could lay their hands on at the moment; and
with this fresh engine they set out with all speed, but with
great "care and caution," as they had scarcely time to make
Adairsville, before the down freight train would leave that
point. Sure enough, 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. This was most
vexatious, and it may have been in some degree
disheartening; but it did not cause the slightest relaxation
of efforts, and, as the result proved, was but little in the
way of the _dead game_, pluck and resolutions of Fuller and
Murphy, who 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,
Tilton, and on through Dalton.
The rails which they had taken up last they took off with
them--besides throwing out cross-ties upon the track
occasionally--hoping thereby the more surely to impede the
pursuit; but all this was like tow to the touch of fire to
the now thoroughly-aroused, excited, and eager pursuers.
These men, though so much excited, and influenced by so much
determination, still retained their well-known caution, were
looking out for this danger, and discovered it, and though
it was seemingly an insuperable obstacle to their making any
headway in pursuit, was quickly overcome by the genius of
Fuller and Murphy. Coming to where the rails were torn up,
they stopped, tore up rails behind them, and laid them down
before, till they had passed over that obstacle. When the
cross-ties were reached, they hauled to and threw them off,
and thus proceeded, and under these difficulties gained on
the frightened fugitives. At Dalton they halted a moment.
Fuller put off the telegraph operator, with instructions to
telegraph to Chattanooga to have them stopped, in case he
should fail to overhaul them.
Fuller pressed on in hot chase--sometimes in sight--as much
to prevent their cutting the wires before the message could
be sent, as to catch them. The daring adventurers stopped
just opposite and very near to where Colonel Glenn's
regiment is encamped, 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 the 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, thus 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 preventing the collision the
adventurers intended.
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. They had no time to repair or
refit, for an iron-horse of more bottom was close behind.
Fuller and Murphy, and their men, soon came within four
hundred yards of them, when the fugitives jumped from the
engine, and left it, three on the north side, and five on
the south side; all fleeing precipitately, and scattering
through the thicket. Fuller and his party also took to the
woods after them.
Some gentleman, 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
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.
We learn that Fuller, soon after leaving his engine, in
passing a cabin in the country, found a mule, having on a
bridle but no saddle, and tied to a fence. "_Here's your
mule_," he shouted, as he leaped upon his back, and put out
as fast as a good switch, well applied, could impart vigor
to the muscles and accelerate the speed of the patient
donkey. The cry of "Here's your mule," and "Where's my
mule," have become national, and are generally heard when,
on the one hand, no mule is about, and on the other when no
one is hunting a mule. It seems not to be understood by any
one, though it is a peculiar Confederate phrase, and is as
popular as Dixie, from the Potomac to the Rio Grande. It
remained for Fuller, in the midst of this exciting chase, to
solve the mysterious meaning of this national by-word or
phrase, and give it a practical application.
All of the eight men were captured, and are now safely
lodged in jail. The particulars of their capture we have not
received. This we hope to obtain in time for a postscript to
this, or for our second edition. They confessed that they
belonged to Lincoln's army, and had been sent down from
Shelbyville to burn the bridges between here and
Chattanooga; and that the whole party consisted of nineteen
men, eleven of whom were dropped at several points on the
road as they came down, to assist in the burning of the
bridges as they went back.
When the morning freight train which left this city reached
Big Shanty, Lieutenant-Colonels R. F. Maddox and C. P.
Phillips took the engine and a few cars, with fifty picked
men, well armed, and followed on as rapidly as possible.
They passed over all difficulties, and got as far as
Calhoun, where they learned the fugitives had taken the
woods, and were pursued by plenty of men, with the means to
catch them if it were possible.
One gentleman who went upon the train from Calhoun, who has
furnished us with many of these particulars, and who, by the
way, is one of the most experienced railroad men in Georgia,
says too much praise cannot be bestowed on Fuller and
Murphy, who showed a cool judgment and forethought in this
extraordinary affair, unsurpassed by anything he ever knew
in a railroad emergency. This gentleman, we learn from
another, offered, on his own account, one hundred dollars
reward on each man, for the apprehension of the villains.
We do not know what Governor Brown will do in this case, or
what is his custom in such matters; but if such a thing is
admissible, we insist upon Fuller and Murphy being promoted
to the highest honors on the road; if not by actually giving
them the highest position, at least let them be promoted by
_brevet_. Certainly their indomitable energy, and quick,
correct judgment and decision in the many difficult
contingencies connected with this unheard-of emergency, has
saved all the railroad bridges above Ringgold from being
burned; the most daring scheme that this revolution has
developed has been thwarted, and the tremendous results
which, if successful, can scarcely be imagined, much less
described, have been averted. Had they succeeded in burning
the bridges, the enemy at Huntsville would have occupied
Chattanooga before Sunday night. Yesterday they would have
been in Knoxville, and thus had possession of all East
Tennessee. Our forces at Knoxville, Greenville, and
Cumberland Gap, would, ere this, have been in the hands of
the enemy. Lynchburg, Virginia, would have been moved upon
at once. This would have given them possession of the Valley
of Virginia, and Stonewall Jackson could have been attacked
in the rear. They would have possession of the railroad
leading to Charlottesville and Orange Court House, as well
as the South Side Railroad leading to Petersburg and
Richmond. They might have been able to unite with
McClellan's forces, and attack Jo. Johnston's army, front
and flank. It is not by any means improbable that our army
in Virginia would have been defeated, captured, or driven
out of the State this week.
Then reinforcements from all the Eastern and Southeast
portion of the country would have been cut off from
Beauregard. The enemy have Huntsville now, and with all
these designs accomplished, his army would have been
effectually flanked. The mind and heart shrink appalled at
the awful consequences that would have followed the success
of this one act. When Fuller, Murphy, and Cain started from
Big Shanty _on foot, to capture that fugitive engine_, they
were involuntarily laughed at by the crowd, serious as the
matter was--and to most observers it was indeed most
ludicrous; but _that footrace saved us_, and prevented the
consummation of these tremendous consequences.
One fact we must not omit to mention, is the valuable
assistance rendered by Peter Bracken, the engineer on the
down freight train which Fuller and Murphy turned back. He
ran his engine fifty and a half miles--two of them backing
the whole freight train up to Adairsville--made twelve
stops, coupled to the two cars which the fugitives had
dropped, and switched them off on sidings--all this, _in one
hour and five minutes_.
We doubt if the victory of Manasses or Corinth were worth as
much to us as the frustration of this grand _coup d' etat_.
It is not by any means certain that the annihilation of
Beauregard's whole army at Corinth would be so fatal a blow
to us as would have been the burning of the bridges at that
time and by these men.
When we learned by a private telegraph dispatch, a few days
ago, that the Yankees had taken Huntsville, we attached no
great importance to it. We regarded it merely as a dashing
foray of a small party to destroy property, tear up the
road, &c., _a la_ Morgan. When an additional telegram
announced the Federal force there to be from 17,000 to
20,000, we were inclined to doubt--though coming from a
perfectly honorable and upright gentleman, who would not be
apt to seize upon a wild report to send here to his friends.
The coming to that point with a large force, where they
would be flanked on either side by our army, we regarded as
a most stupid and unmilitary act. We now understand it all.
They were to move upon Chattanooga and Knoxville as soon as
the bridges were burnt, and press on into Virginia as far as
possible, and take all our forces in that State in the rear.
It was all the deepest laid scheme, and on the grandest
scale, that ever emanated from the brains of any number of
Yankees combined. It was one that was also entirely
practicable on almost any day for the last year. There were
but two miscalculations in the whole programme; they did not
expect men to start out afoot to pursue them, and they did
not expect these pursuers on foot to find Major Cooper's old
"Yonah" standing there all ready fired up. Their
calculations on every other point were dead certainties, and
would have succeeded perfectly.
This would have eclipsed anything Captain Morgan ever
attempted. To think of a parcel of Federal soldiers,
officers and privates, coming down into the heart of the
Confederate States--for they were here in Atlanta and at
Marietta--(some of them got on the train at Marietta that
morning, and others were at Big Shanty;) of playing such a
serious game on the State Road, which is under the control
of our prompt, energetic and sagacious Governor, known as
such all over America; to seize the passenger train on his
road, right at Camp McDonald, where he has a number of
Georgia regiments encamped, and run off with it; to burn the
bridges on the same road, and to go safely through to the
Federal lines--all this would have been a feather in the cap
of the man or men who executed it.
Let this be a warning to the railroad men and everybody else
in the Confederate States. Let an engine never be left alone
a moment. Let additional guards be placed at our bridges.
This is a matter we specially urged in the Confederacy long
ago. We hope it will now be heeded. Further, let a
sufficient guard be placed to watch the government stores in
this city; and let increased vigilance and watchfulness be
put forth by the watchmen. We know one solitary man who is
guarding a house in this city, which contains a lot of
bacon. Two or three men could throttle and gag him, and set
fire to the house at any time; and worse, he conceives that
there is no necessity for a guard, as he is sometimes seen
off duty for a few moments, fully long enough for an
incendiary to burn the house he watches. Let Mr. Shakelford,
whom we know to be watchful and attentive to his duties,
take the responsibility at once of placing a well-armed
guard of sufficient force around every house containing
government stores. Let this be done without waiting for
instructions from Richmond.
One other thought. The press is requested by the Government
to keep silent about the movements of the army, and a great
many things of the greatest interest to our people. It has,
in the main, patriotically complied. We have complied in
most cases, but our judgment was against it all the while.
The plea is that the enemy will get the news if it is
published in our papers. Now, we again ask, what's the use?
The enemy get what information they want. They are with us
and pass among us almost daily. They find out from us what
they want to know, by passing through our country unimpeded.
It is nonsense--it is folly, to deprive our own people of
knowledge they are entitled to and ought to know, for fear
the enemy will find it out. We ought to have a regular
system of passports over all our roads, and refuse to let
any man pass who could not give a good account of himself,
come well vouched for, and make it fully appear that he is
not an enemy, and that he is on legitimate business. This
would keep information from the enemy far more effectually
than any reticence of the press, which ought to lay before
our people the full facts in everything of a public nature.