The Andrews Raid: The Players

Before you copy and paste this information to your website, please keep in mind this research took a lot of effort. Appreciate it. Learn from it. But do not plagiarize it. Yes, if you think we might be talking to you, we are.

The Raiders

(Courtesy of the Library of Congress)

Civilians

[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Andrews-James.jpg”] Union spy James J. Andrews persuaded Maj. Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchel to authorize a raid to steal a locomotive and destroy the Western & Atlantic Railroad. In March 1862, Andrews, born circa 1829 in Holiday’s Cove, Virginia, (today Weirton, West Virginia), led a small group of spies to Atlanta, where they were to rendezvous with an engineer who previously agreed to steal a locomotive. The scheme failed because the engineer did not show for the raid. He returned in April 1862. However, this time, he tapped two dozen men for the mission, including several engineers. The group was delayed by bad weather, and the raid took place on a rainy Saturday, April 12, 1862.
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Campbell-William.jpg”] William Hunter Campbell worked for the Union Army during the early years of the Civil War. Campbell, born in Fox Township, Ohio, was one of two civilians who participated in the Great Locomotive Chase. He was visiting friends in 2nd Ohio Infantry in Kentucky when he was recruited to participate in the operation.
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]

2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment

[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Pittenger-William.jpg”] Cpl. William Pittenger
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Ross-Marion.jpg”] Sgt. Maj. Marion A. Ross
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Group-Square.jpg”] Pvt. Phillip G. Shadrach
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Group-Square.jpg”]Pvt. James Smith[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Wilson-George-D.jpg”]Pvt. George D. Wilson[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]

21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment

[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Bensinger-William.jpg”] Pvt. William Bensinger
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Brown-Wilson-W.jpg”] Pvt. Wilson W. Brown
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Buffum-Robert.jpg”] Pvt. Robert Buffam
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Knight-William.jpg”] Pvt. William J. Knight
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Mason-Elihu.jpg”]Sgt. Elihu H. Mason[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Porter-John.jpg”]Pvt. John Reed Porter[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Scott-John.jpg”] Sgt. John M. Scott
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Wilson-Alf-450.jpg”]Pvt. John A. Wilson[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Wood-Mark.jpg”]Pvt. Mark Wood[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]

33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment

[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Dorsey-Daniel.jpg”] Cpl. Daniel Allen Dorsey
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Hawkins-Martin.jpg”] Cpl. Martin Jones Hawkins
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Group-Square.jpg”] Cpl. Samuel Llewellyn
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Parrott-Jacob.jpg”] Pvt. Jacob Parrott
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Reddick-William.jpg”] Cpl. William H. Reddick
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Group-Square.jpg”] Pvt. Samuel Robertson
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Slavens-Samuel.jpg”] Pvt. Samuel Slavens
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Group-Square.jpg”] Pvt. John Wollam
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]

The Pursuers

The Original Pursuers

[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Fuller-William.jpg”] William A. Fuller, born in 1836 in Morrow Station, south of Atlanta, was the conductor on the northbound passenger train that morning. Much to the humor of those in Big Shanty, Fuller led a pursuing party, first on foot, then on a “pole” car and finally by commandeering a number of locomotives. His dogged pursuit of the “engine thieves,” as the Southern press called the Raiders, helped save the railroad from total destruction.
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Murphy-Anthony.jpg”] Anthony Murphy, a native of Ireland, was the Western & Atlantic’s repair shop foreman in 1862. He joined William Fuller in pursuing the General during the 1862 Great Locomotive Chase.
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]
[su_shadow][su_photo_panel photo=”https://railfanning.org/graphics/Jeff-Cain_2189.jpg”] Jeff Cain was the engineer of the General on the morning of the Andrews Raid. He participated in the pursuit from Big Shanty to just after Kingston.
[/su_photo_panel][/su_shadow]

Other Participants and Involved Parties

Andrew J. Anderson Fireman on the General, but he apparently did not participate in the chase
Absalom Adams Fireman on the Catoosa
Jesse Brewer Working with Jackson Bond replacing a switch at Moon’s Station
Edward Henderson The 17-year-old telegraph operator from Dalton went to Calhoun after he discovered the telegraph line was down; in Calhoun, he boarded the Texas, and Fuller gave him a telegraph message to dispatch from Dalton
William Hinton Working with Jackson Bond replacing a switch at Moon’s Station
Lem Kendrick Anthony Murphy sent Kendick to Marietta on horse to wire news of the engine theft
George Rainey and/or George Martin Joined the chase at Acworth
Joe Renard Engineer on the Catoosa
White Smith Rode ahead on horseback to check a small bridge along the road between Allatoona and Acworth
Uriah Stephens Station agent at Kingston
Steven Stokely Joined the chase at Acworth
Frank Watts Conductor of the Catoosa
James White Working with Jackson Bond replacing a switch at Moon’s Station
Capt. William J. Whitsett Joined the chase in Calhoun aboard the Catoosa

William R. Smith

Oliver Wiley Harbin Engineer of the William R. Smith locomotive, which joined the chase at Kingston
Cicero Smith Conductor on the train pulled by the William R. Smith
William Kernodle (sometimes spelled Kirknodle) Stoker (according to Gordon L. Rottman’s The Great Locomotive Chase: The Andrews Raid 1862)
Joe Lassiter Brakeman (according to Gordon L. Rottman’s The Great Locomotive Chase: The Andrews Raid 1862)

The Texas

Peter Bracken Engineer of The Texas
Henry Haney Fireman of The Texas
Alonzo Martin Wood passer on The Texas
Fleming Cox A second fireman on The Texas
Back to the Top
The Andrews Raid

Railfanning Review Podcast

Tales from the Rails on Substack

Before you copy and paste this information to your website, please keep in mind this research took a lot of effort. Appreciate it. Learn from it. But do not plagiarize it. Yes, if you think we might be talking to you, we are.