William Allen Fuller - Great Locomotive Chase

Great Locomotive Chase

On the morning of April 12, 1862, the locomotive General was stopped at Big Shanty (now Kennesaw, Georgia) so that the crew and passengers could have breakfast. While they were dining in the Lacey Hotel, Federal spy James J. Andrews and his party of Union volunteers commandeered the General, its tender, and a few boxcars and steamed northward. An astonished Fuller chased the stolen train by foot and then by handcar. At Etowah, Fuller commandeered another locomotive, the old Yonah, and took it north to Kingston, Georgia, keeping up the pressure on Andrews. The raiders began raising rails and cutting telegraph wires to delay their pursuers, although an attempt to burn a covered bridge failed. At Kingston, Fuller took command of the newer, faster William R. Smith and headed north to Adairsville. The tracks two miles (3 km) south of Adairsville were broken by the raiders and Fuller had to run the two miles by foot.

Once at Adairsville, the determined Fuller appropriated the southbound locomotive Texas and again chased the General, although the Texas was in reverse. Concurrently, Andrews' Raiders were cutting the telegraph wires so no transmissions could go through to Chattanooga. With the Texas still chasing the General in reverse, the pair of trains sped through Dalton and Tunnel Hill, to the surprise of local residents and railroad workers.

At milepost 116.3 (north of Ringgold), Andrews' Raiders abandoned the General and scattered from the locomotive just a few miles short of their destination of Chattanooga. Andrews and most of his raiders were soon captured and taken to Atlanta for trial. After they were found guilty of espionage and conspiracy, Andrews and several members of his party were executed by hanging.

The Georgia State Assembly later noted that, "The conduct of Mr. Fuller, the Conductor, and of some others in the hazardous pursuit, while the spies were in possession of the train, deserves the highest commendation and entitles them to the consideration of the General Assembly."

Following his successful pursuit of Andrews' Raiders, Fuller was commissioned by Governor Joseph E. Brown on August 3, 1863, for a six-month term as a captain in the Independent State Road Guards. His commission was renewed for another term in February 1864. Fuller hired and trained militia to serve as guards on Georgia's railroads to prevent a recurrence of Andrews' Raid.