The Great Locomotive Chase

“When we arrived at Kingston, we found that the thieves had passed some twenty-five minutes ahead of us,” Fuller said in his statement. “We were there told that they stated that they had been pressed by the Government to carry powder and ammunition to (Gen. P.G.T.) Beauregard—that Fuller, and the regular mail train was behind, and would be on directly. This, they did, to get the switch keys; and so plausible were their statements, that they completely deceived the agent at Kingston.”

On April 12, 1862, James J. Andrews with 18 Union soldiers in disguise, and 1 civilian, having seized the locomotive The General at Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) intending to wreck the Western and Atlantic Railroad, were forced to side-track here and wait for the southbound freights to pass. After a long delay The General continued north. Pursuing from Big Shanty, William Allen Fuller (conductor) led a crew which used a push-car and other means and eventually caught the highjackers.