12. The Great Locomotive Chase
Seizing the train’s locomotive, Andrews and his raiders uncoupled it from the rest of the train and took off, beginning what came to be known as “The Great Locomotive Chase”. The raiders cut telegraph lines, and stopping along the way, removed some rail tracks. When a hue and cry was raised, the raiders led Confederate pursuers on a 90-mile chase on foot and on locomotives.
In Big Shanty, the conductor whose locomotive they had hijacked, a William Fuller, organized a pursuit. First by foot, then by handcar, until Fuller and posse reached an idle locomotive on a spur line, which they fired up and began the chase in earnest. Switching locomotives along the way, the pursuers steadily closed the distance with the raiders. For some time, Andrews’ men stayed ahead of news of their raid because they had cut telegraph wires. That prevented warnings and orders to block the raiders’ escape route from reaching Confederate forces ahead of the fleeing Union volunteers.