The Great Locomotive Chase: The Andrews Raid 1862 (Paperback)
In April 1862, the stage was set for one of the greatest locomotive chases in history. Union forces planned to steal a train and travel at high speed to Chattanooga, Tennessee, disabling the line as they went, in order to cut off vital rail supplies to the Confederate stronghold of Atlanta, Georgia, some 100-plus miles to the southwest. What they hadn't banked on was the dogged determination of one man, train conductor William Fuller, who, after realizing his train had been stolen, began a frantic pursuit, first by handcar, then by top-speed locomotive, dealing with derailments by running miles on foot to the next station, and single-handedly removing drag ties from the track in front of his train. The raiders were so hotly pursued that they had no time to inflict serious damage on the tracks and could not stop to gather more fuel. Just north of Ringgold, some miles south of Chattanooga, The General ran out of wood and the raiders scattered into the forested Appalachian Mountains. All were captured within days and sentenced to death. Discover the history of one of the most colorful and dramatic episodes of the Civil War as Gordon L. Rottman expertly recounts this incredible tale of sabotage, robbery and raiding on the rail lines of the Deep South.
Gordon L Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969-70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol and intelligence assignments until retiring after 26 years. He was a special operations forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years and is now a freelance writer, living in Texas. The thrilling Walt Disney 1956 film, The Great Locomotive Chase, first captured the author's imagination in his childhood and this book is a culmination of a lifelong interest in the subject. The author lives in Cyprus, Texas.
“Rottman has also produced a readable work. His writing is clear and crisp and he weaves an interesting story in a way that keeps the readers attention.” —American History Blog (November 2009)