|
NOTE - After
19 years online, HomeOfHeroes.com may soon close it's doors.
Many of the HERO STORIES, history,
citations and other information detailed in this website are, at least for now,
available in PRINT or DIGITAL format from AMAZON.COM. The below comprise the nearly
4-dozen "Home Of Heroes" books currently available.
|
|
Your HomeOfHeroes CONTENT & Navigation is below the following
Advertisement. |
|
Medal
of Honor Books |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| This series of books contains the citations for ALL
Medals of Honor awarded to that branch of service, with brief biographical data and photos
of many of the recipients. Some of them also include citations for other awards, analysis
of awards, data tables and analysis and more. These are LARGE volumes, each 8 1/2" x
11" and more than 500 pages each. Click on a book to find it on Amazon.com where you
can find more details on what is contained in each book, as well as to get a free preview.
Each volume is $24.95. |
Heroes
in the War on Terrorism |
NAVY
- MARINES
- AIR FORCE
- ARMY
O.E.F. - ARMY
O.I.F.
|
These books contain the citations for nearly all of the awards of the Silve
Star and higher to members of each branch of service in the War on Terrorism. Books
include photos of most recipients, some biographical data, analysis of awards by rank,
unit, date, and more.
|
ENCYCLOPEDIA
of AMERICAN MILITARY HEROES |
|
|
WINGS OF VALOR
 
|
The Defining Generation
|
Visit My
AUTHOR PAGE
 |
|
|
|
The
FIRST |
|
Medals
of Honor |
|
|
|
The Great
Locomotive Chase |
Secretary of War Edwin Stanton looked in
amazement at the six young soldiers before him. It was March 25, 1863 and the sight of
ragged remnants that had once been brave young commandos moved his heart. They
had just been released from a Confederate P.O.W. camp in a prisoner exchange, and their
story was incredible.
Undoubtedly the Secretary had some prior
knowledge of the ill-fated mission these brave Ohio volunteers had embarked upon just a
year earlier, but the details of that mission and the commandos' subsequent imprisonment
exceeded his expectations.
|
The youngest member of the six was Ohio Army
private Jacob Parrott, though he was not the youngest of the original group. The
whereabouts of 17-year-old James (Ovid) Smith was still uncertain. He had been
captured near Huntsville, Alabama, before the mission had begun, then escaped the previous
October. Nineteen year old Samuel Robertson's fate was not so unclear....he had been
hanged by the enemy for his role in the daring commando group that became known as
'Andrews Raiders'.
 The original mission had been proposed by 33-year-old Virginian and Union spy James J. Andrews, and quickly embraced by Union Generals
Buell and Mitchell. In fact Brigadier General Ormsby Mitchell was so enamored with
the plan that he personally joined Andrews when he went to three Ohio regiments on
April 7, 1862 to enlist volunteers for the daring foray into enemy territory. In
all, 23 young soldiers volunteered their services despite Andrew's very limited briefing.
Before the mission unfolded, a 24th man joined the group. He was civilian William Campbell who happened to
be visiting his friend Private Philip Shadrach at the time. When Shadrach
volunteered to join the effort, the 200 pound William Campbell volunteered to join
also.
The brave soldiers were told little more than
that they should separate into small groups and travel separately through enemy lines to
Marietta, Georgia, deep into the heart of Dixie. Four days later 21 of the volunteers had successfully arrived to
meet Andrews in the small city just north of Atlanta, and the plans for their daring raid
unfolded. Their mission was to purchase tickets as passengers on a Confederate
train, then take control of that train and travel north 100 miles to Chattanooga wreaking
havoc and burning bridges along the way to disrupt Confederate troop movements and
communications.
|
At 5 A.M. the following morning Andrews and 19
of his volunteers boarded the passenger cars behind the steam engine General.
(For whatever reason two of the volunteers failed to meet their train.) It
was April 12th, one year to the day after the opening shots of the Civil War had been
fired at Fort Sumter.
A short time after the train left Marietta it pulled into the
small stop at Big Shanty where the passengers and crew dismounted for breakfast at the
Lacey Hotel. Andrews and his 19 men stayed aboard, prepared to make their move.
There was no telegraph office at the stop in Big Shanty to broadcast news of what
the raiders were about to do, the very reason Andrews had selected this site to begin his
operation.
When the passengers and crew were out of sight
Andrews and his men calmly but quickly separated the General, its coal tender and
three box cars from the rest of the train, all without arousing the suspicion of the
soldiers at nearby Camp McDonald. It was a simple but audacious act. Their
work done, sixteen of the commandos boarded the three box cars. Andrews entered the
engine with Privates Wilson Brown and William Knight, both engineers in their own right.
The final soldier assumed the role of fireman and the legitimate crew of the
General looked up from their breakfast to the startling sight of the General
leaving Big Shanty without them.
The courage of Andrews and his men this day
would, however, be challenged by the courage of their enemy as well. The General's
engineer Jeff Cain was joined by two of his crew Anthony Murphy and William Fuller in a
desperate effort to recover their train. The three ran after the train on foot,
pursuing it for two miles to Moon's Station where they found a hand-propelled cart to
continue their pursuit.
Over the first twenty miles of their journey
north from Big Shanty, Andrews and his men took time to pull up rail behind them and drop
timbers across the tracks to discourage any possible pursuit, as well as cutting telegraph
lines that might have sent news of their desperate mission ahead to waiting Confederate
troops. As they passed the Etowah River however, they made a fatal mistake, ignoring
the presence of the old steam engine Yonah as they continued on towards Kingston.
Cain and his crew didn't overlook this more appropriate pursuit vehicle, and quickly
traded their hand car for the aging mechanical one.
At Kingston the raiders had faced a
frustrating delay caused by other train traffic. Confident that the cut
telegraph lines had prevented news of their raid from reaching Kingston they patiently but
nervously paced the siding as the flow of south-bound trains held them in place.
They were still not aware that Cain was pursuing them and gaining mileage
with each minute
of delay. Finally, after more than an hour, Andrews and his men continued their
journey north, just as Cain was arriving at the rail yard. The two groups were only
ten minutes apart.
At Kingston Cain, Fuller and Murphy traded the
aging Yonah for the William R. Smith to continue their pursuit.
Four miles north of Kingston however, they had to abandon the William R. Smith
when they encountered track that had been taken up by Andrews' Raiders shortly after they
had departed the city. Refusing to give up, Murphy and Fuller ran on foot the 3
miles to Adairsville where they encountered a southbound train pulled by The Texas.
Releasing the cars, the two continued their pursuit, The Texas running in
reverse but gaining on the raiders.
Two miles north of Calhoon Andrews halted the
trek of the General long enough to again attempt to damage the track to foil any
possible pursuit. As the dismounted raiders were going about their work they became
aware for the first time that the pursuit was real. Quickly the men reboarded and
Brown and Knight opened the General's throttle to the maximum. Still
running backwards The Texas continued, also running at full steam in what would
ever after become known as the GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE.
Through the towns of Resaca and then Dalton
the two engines raced. The raiders dropped timbers behind them but they failed to
slow The Texas. In desperation the raiders cut loose two of the three box
cars, but even these failed to halt the determined pursuit. Just south of the
covered bridge over the Oostanaula River the 21 raiders crowded onto the General and its
coal tender and set fire to and released the remaining box car in an attempt to burn the
wooden bridge. Still soggy from the rains that had earlier delayed the raiders
initial journey into Georgia, the bridge refused to ignite and the chase continued.
As it became increasingly more obvious that
The General would not make Chatanooga the raiders began to jump one by one from the train
and race for the shelter of the woods. Then, two miles north of Ringgold and just
five miles from Tennessee, The General gasped its last puff of steam and the
remaining raiders ran in desperation to avoid capture. The Great Locomotive Chase
was over and the flight for life had begun.
Within a week Andrews and all 21 raiders,
including the two who had failed to board the train for its 87 mile race into history,
were captured. In Atlanta James Andrews was tried and convicted as a spy. On
June 7th he was hanged. Eleven days later on June 18th seven more raiders including
the civilian William Campbell and his friend Private Shadrach and two of the three NCOs
were also hanged as spies. The remaining 14 young soldiers were placed in prison
camps to await what they assumed would be a similar fate. Bold,
courageous and with
nothing to loose they engineered a daring escape four months later in which
eight of them reached safety. The other six were recaptured and brutally
punished.
William Bensinger |
Robert Buffum |
Elihu Mason |
Jacob Parrott |
William Pittenger |
William Reddick |
It was these six young men, recently
released in exchange for Confederate prisoners, who now stood before the Secretary
of War to recount the tale of their ordeal.
The Secretary was moved by the story. Then a thought crossed his
mind and he stepped briefly into an adjoining room at the War Department, returning
momentarily with something in his hand. "Congress," he told the young men,
"has by recent law ordered medals to be prepared on this model. Your party
shall have the first; they will be the first that have been given to private soldiers in
this war." Then he stepped before the youngest of the group, Private Jacob
Parrott and presented the FIRST Medal of Honor ever awarded. When he had followed
suit with the remaining five he walked them to the White House to meet the President,
setting the stage for a tradition that would dominate similar presentations beginning some
half century later.
The following September, 9 more of the raiders were presented Medals of
Honor for their participation in the raid.
 |
Wilson Brown |
Daniel Dorsey |
Martin Hawkins |
William Knight |
John Porter |
Jamed (Ovid) Smith |
Alfred Wilson |
John Wollam |
Mark Wood |
Eventually 19 of the 24 men including
four of those hanged as spies were awarded Medals of Honor.
|
|
|
Samuel Robertson
|
Marion Ross
|
John Scott
|
Samuel Slavens
|
These four heroes are remembered as they rest in honor at the
National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They are buried
in a semi-circle behind this monument.
(Doug
Sterner visiting the memorial with Desmond Doss, MOH)
|
As civilians neither
James J. Andrews or William Campbell were eligible for the award.
Below
are the names of the 19....Private Philip Schadrach not among them.
Private
Schadrach had served, been tried and hanged...under an assumed name.
Andrews' Raiders
(Click on any of their names to read their citation)
|
Name |
Unit |
Date
of Award |
| 1 |
Pvt
Jacob Parrott |
Co K, 33d Ohio Infantry |
March 25, 1863 |
| 2 |
Pvt
William Bensinger |
Co G, 21st Ohio Infantry |
March 25, 1863 |
| 3 |
Pvt
Robert Buffum |
Co H, 21st Ohio Infantry |
March 25, 1863 |
| 4 |
Sgt
Elihu H. Mason |
Co K, 21st Ohio Infantry |
March 25, 1863 |
| 5 |
Sgt
William Pittinger (Pittenger) |
Co G, 2d Ohio Infantry |
March 25, 1863 |
| 6 |
Cpl
William H. Harrison Reddick |
Co B, 33d Ohio Infantry |
March 25, 1863 |
| Cpl Daniel Allen Dorsey |
Co H, 33d Ohio Infantry |
September 17, 1863 |
| **SgtMaj Marion A. Ross |
2d Ohio Infantry |
September, 1863 |
| Pvt Mark Wood |
Co C, 21st Ohio Infantry |
September, 1863 |
| Pvt John Reed Porter |
Co G, 21st Ohio Infantry |
September, 1863 |
| Pvt Wilson W. Brown |
Co F, 21st Ohio Infantry |
September, 1863 |
| Pvt William J. Knight |
Co E, 21st Ohio Infantry |
September, 1863 |
| Pvt John Alfred Wilson |
Co C, 21st Ohio Infantry |
September, 1863 |
**Pvt Samuel Robertson |
Co G, 33d Ohio Infantry |
September, 1863 |
Cpl Martin Jones Hawkins |
Co A, 33d Ohio Infantry |
September, 1863 |
Pvt James (Ovid) Smith |
Co I, 2d Ohio Infantry |
July 6, 1864 |
Pvt John Wollam |
Co C, 33d Ohio Infantry |
July 20, 1864 |
**Sgt John Morehead Scott |
Co F, 21st Ohio Infantry |
August 4, 1866 |
**Pvt Samuel Slavens |
Co E, 33d Ohio Infantry |
July 28, 1883 |
WEB NOTES:
- Following
the war, many of the surviving raiders remained close friends and visited
each other often. Raider Jacob Parrott's only son John Marion
Parrott married Edith Gertrude Brown, one of Wilson Brown's eight children.
Their children had the unique distinction of being the grandchildren of
TWO Medal of Honor recipients.
- Raider William Pittenger went on to become a minister after his war service and published
the story of the raiders in 1863's DARING AND SUFFERING: A HISTORY OF THE GREAT
RAILROAD ADVENTURE. This historical account was reprinted by Golden West Books
in 1966 under the title IN PURSUIT OF THE GENERAL.
The
surviving raiders held periodic gatherings, including a reunion in 1906
that included William Fuller who, on behalf of the Confederacy, pursued
the stolen General in its mission north from Big Shanty, GA.
You can click on the photo at right for a larger image of this gathering.- In
1914 Buster Keaton attempted to make a movie about the Andrews Raid titled
"The General" but was denied permission by officials of
the NC&StL (the railroad that owned the locomotive) because they
objected to the historic event being presented as a comedy.
- In
the 1950s Walt Disney produced the classic black & white tale of "The
Great Locomotive Chase", staring
Fess Parker, immortalizing the historic adventure of Andrew's Raiders in
a serious and moving tale.
- In 1961 The General was restored and
the following year made a centennial run to commemorate the event that
made it the most famous train in history. Following that tour, it
was placed on public display at The Kennesaw Civil
War Museum in Kennesaw, Georgia.
| FOR THE CLASSROOM:
You can click on the thumbnail at right for a page from our Medal
of Honor Coloring Book showing President Lincoln meeting with six
members of the Andrews Raid. |
|
For more on Andrew's Raiders visit the excellent site at http://ngeorgia.com/history/raiders.shtml
Sources Include ABOVE AND BEYOND, Boston Publishing (Available from CMOH
Society)
Copyright
© 1999-2014 by HomeOfHeroes.com
2115 West 13th Street - Pueblo, CO 81003
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Unless otherwise noted, all materials by C. Douglas Sterner |
|
|
|
|
SEARCH
OUR SITE |
|
|
HomeOfHeroes.com now has more than 25,000 pages of US History
for you to view.
|
