The General – Railfanning.org

20240520_General — A postcard of The General. (Railfanning.org Library)

Overview

The General, a 4-4-0 “American” type steam engine, was built in December 1855 by Rogers, Ketchum & Grosvenor of Paterson, New Jersey. Purchased by the state-owned Western & Atlantic Railroad, the locomotive spent its early years hauling passengers and freight between Atlanta and Chattanooga before becoming the centerpiece of one of the Civil War’s most famous episodes.

On the rainy morning of April 12, 1862, The General arrived at Big Shanty (today’s Kennesaw) around 6 a.m. Passengers headed to the nearby Lacy Hotel for breakfast, leaving the train unattended. Seizing the opportunity, Union spy James J. Andrews and his raiders stole the locomotive and three boxcars, hoping to disrupt the Confederacy’s vital Western & Atlantic Railroad.

Their daring plan failed after conductor William A. Fuller launched a relentless pursuit, first on foot and then by rail, culminating in the locomotive’s recovery near Ringgold. The event became immortalized as the Great Locomotive Chase, and several participants later received the Medal of Honor.

The General returned to service after the war and operated until 1891. Rather than being scrapped, it became the public face of the Western & Atlantic, appearing at expositions, reunions, and historic celebrations across the country. In 1962, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad restored the locomotive to operating condition for the centennial of the Great Locomotive Chase.

Its fame nearly sparked a second chase. In 1967, Chattanooga officials blocked an attempt to move The General to Georgia, triggering a years-long legal battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Georgia ultimately prevailed, and in 1972 the locomotive was formally presented to Gov. Jimmy Carter and placed in Kennesaw, where it remains today at the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History.