By Russell S. Bonds
Selected by way of Civil conflict Interactive as one of many most sensible Civil conflict Books of All Time
"The definitive ebook concerning the nice Locomotive Chase."—Charlotte Observer
"Magnificent and definitive."—Wall highway Journal
"The nice Locomotive Chase has been the stuff of legend and the darling of Hollywood. we have now an excellent heritage of the Andrews Raid. Russell S. Bonds' stirring account makes transparent why the raid failed and what occurred to the raiders."—James M. McPherson, writer of conflict Cry of Freedom, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
"In this gripping, smooth-running account, Bonds zooms without problems from broad-stroke overviews of Civil struggle technique to minute-by-minute scrutiny of unfolding occasions at the flooring. He units up the tale with a quickly, punchy define of the 1st yr of the conflict. What follows is a fast moving, tremendous well-told story of espionage, seize, trial and escape."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Phenomenally good written, prepared, and presented."—Civil conflict Books and Authors
On April 12, 1862—one 12 months to the day after accomplice weapons opened on castle Sumter and began the Civil War—a tall, mysterious smuggler and self-appointed Union undercover agent named James J. Andrews and nineteen infantry volunteers infiltrated north Georgia and stole a steam engine referred to as the General. Racing northward at speeds imminent sixty miles an hour, slicing telegraph strains and destroying music alongside the best way, Andrews deliberate to open East Tennessee to the Union military, removing males and matériel from the accomplice forces in Virginia. in the event that they succeeded, Andrews and his raiders might switch the process the struggle. however the General's younger conductor, William A. Fuller, chased the stolen teach first walking, then by means of handcar, and at last aboard one other engine, the Texas. He pursued the General until eventually, operating out of wooden and water, Andrews and his males deserted the doomed locomotive, finishing the event that might quickly be well-known as the nice Locomotive Chase. yet the ordeal of the warriors concerned used to be simply starting. within the days that undefined, the "engine thieves" have been hunted down and captured. 8 have been attempted and achieved as spies, together with Andrews. 8 others made a bold break out to freedom, together with assisted via a community of slaves and Union sympathizers. for his or her activities, sooner than a private viewers with President Abraham Lincoln, six of the raiders grew to become the 1st males in American background to be presented the Medal of Honor—the nation's optimum ornament for gallantry.
Americans north and south, either on the time and ever seeing that, were astounded and occupied with this bold raid. yet in the past, there has no longer been a whole heritage of the complete episode and the fates of all these concerned. according to eyewitness bills, in addition to correspondence, diaries, army files, newspaper reviews, deposition testimony and different basic resources, Stealing the overall: the nice Locomotive Chase and the 1st Medal of Honor via Russell S. Bonds is a mix of meticulous learn and compelling narrative that's now thought of to be the definitive heritage of "the boldest experience of the war."