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Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor
On April 12, 1862—one year to the day after Confederate guns opened on Fort Sumter and started the Civil War—a tall, mysterious smuggler and self-appointed Union spy named James J. Andrews and nineteen infantry volunteers infiltrated north Georgia and stole a steam engine called the General. Racing northward at speeds approaching sixty miles an hour, cutting telegraph lines and destroying track along the way, Andrews planned to open East Tennessee to the Union army, cutting off men and matériel from the Confederate forces in Virginia. If they succeeded, Andrews and his raiders could change the course of the war. But the General's young conductor, William A. Fuller, chased the stolen train first on foot, then by handcar, and finally aboard another engine, the Texas. He pursued the General until, running out of wood and water, Andrews and his men abandoned the doomed locomotive, ending the adventure that would soon be famous as The Great Locomotive Chase. But the ordeal of the soldiers involved was just beginning. In the days that followed, the "engine thieves" were hunted down and captured. Eight were tried and executed as spies, including Andrews. Eight others made a daring escape to freedom, including two assisted by a network of slaves and Union sympathizers. For their actions, before a personal audience with President Abraham Lincoln, six of the raiders became the first men in American history to be awarded the Medal of Honor—the nation's highest decoration for gallantry.
Americans north and south, both at the time and ever since, have been astounded and fascinated by this daring raid. But until now, there has not been a complete history of the entire episode and the fates of all those involved. Based on eyewitness accounts, as well as correspondence, diaries, military records, newspaper reports, deposition testimony and other primary sources, Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor by Russell S. Bonds is a blend of meticulous research and compelling narrative that is now considered to be the definitive history of "the boldest adventure of the war."
Americans north and south, both at the time and ever since, have been astounded and fascinated by this daring raid. But until now, there has not been a complete history of the entire episode and the fates of all those involved. Based on eyewitness accounts, as well as correspondence, diaries, military records, newspaper reports, deposition testimony and other primary sources, Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor by Russell S. Bonds is a blend of meticulous research and compelling narrative that is now considered to be the definitive history of "the boldest adventure of the war."
444 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2006
34 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
About the author
Russell S. Bonds
6 books5 followersRussell S. Bonds is a corporate lawyer and author on the American Civil War.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
May 2, 2025
An outstanding hiatorical account of the Great Train Chase that often reads like an Adveture Epic, with moments of heartbreaking tragedy. The author provides all the detail of before during and after. A must read for any Civil War history fan.
April 2, 2013
This probably isn’t a well known story by people that study Civil War history. It’s about a group of 22 Yankee volunteers who hijacked a train in Georgia. The plan was to take the train and burn bridges along a railroad line that lead from Atlanta to Chattanooga. The hope was after the train was stolen the Federal troops could support the mission and cut off the south’s supply line to the eastern front of the war.
By today’s standards a train chase wouldn’t seem all that impressive but at the time trains were a modern marvel and very important in the execution of the Civil War. Considering what the hijackers had to go through to even make the attempt and that it very nearly worked is an impressive story. The idea of one steam engine chasing another at high speeds on a very mountainous and curving railroad line had to be a thrilling and terrifying ordeal.
The story made national headlines and the participants who made the daring attempt and survived to tell the tale would eventually become the very first recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
I liked the book well enough but the story as fantastic as some may think it was couldn’t compare to the horrors of combat that veterans of both sides faced. Since the incident happened early in the war before much of the heavy fighting started it drew some attention but became just one of the many sideshows the war would produce and didn’t have the desired results the raiders had hoped for. Had it work it’s hard to say what the outcome would have been. All in all it’s a good story and worth the time if you like Civil War History.
By today’s standards a train chase wouldn’t seem all that impressive but at the time trains were a modern marvel and very important in the execution of the Civil War. Considering what the hijackers had to go through to even make the attempt and that it very nearly worked is an impressive story. The idea of one steam engine chasing another at high speeds on a very mountainous and curving railroad line had to be a thrilling and terrifying ordeal.
The story made national headlines and the participants who made the daring attempt and survived to tell the tale would eventually become the very first recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
I liked the book well enough but the story as fantastic as some may think it was couldn’t compare to the horrors of combat that veterans of both sides faced. Since the incident happened early in the war before much of the heavy fighting started it drew some attention but became just one of the many sideshows the war would produce and didn’t have the desired results the raiders had hoped for. Had it work it’s hard to say what the outcome would have been. All in all it’s a good story and worth the time if you like Civil War History.
August 24, 2025
I grew up in Graysville, Georgia, just north of Ringgold and the location where The General lumbered to a stop in April 1982, after the famous chase. I always thought that if Andrews had a bit more fuel, my hometown would have been famous! This is a well-researched, well-written, fantastic account of the incredible story.
November 3, 2017
Good nonfictional account of the Andrews raid, with a lot of useful information about railroads during the Civil War. This is a book probably better read on paper rather than in electronic form, as the reader without an elephantine memory will need to flip back from time to time to refresh one's memory about the various people involved.
March 15, 2013
Non-fiction represents about 20% of my book reading choices. I am very happy I chose this volume to listen to. I usually have at least one audio book going at any given time. This story, narrated by Bronson Pinchot, held me enthralled for about two weeks (I only listen during workouts and gardening chores).
This is the story of a group of two dozen very brave Union soldiers from Ohio infiltrating the border between the US and the CSA for the purpose of stealing a locomotive (The General) and bringing it back to the Union lines while burning bridges, cutting telegraph wires and tearing up track during the exfiltration. As they fled toward the border, The Texas, a locomotive manned by outraged Confederates, gave chase - managing to stay on track in spite of dodging the damage done by the Union troops on the fleeing General. The infiltrators were led by a civilian named James Andrews, Andrews was a tall, handsome, dark and imposing civilian with no military experience, no espionage experience but gifted with a golden tongue; he convinced a Union general that this would soften up the Rebs such that an invasion force could divide the Confederacy in two (divide and conquer, right?) Well, the plan was sound in its theory but so many things can go wrong in the fog of war and this raid was no exception. Today, little is known of the raid and its participants. During the Civil war it was a BIG DEAL. Things went badly for the raiders but what a thrill ride it was for them. The survivors received the very first Medals of Honor ever presented to American soldiers. For Civil War buffs, this is a must read. Actually, anyone who appreciates history will want to read this book: The author does a great job separating fact from fiction in this highly adventurous story from the US Civil War. The story has been made into at least two Hollywood films and should be considered for another treatment by Hollywood. Although it happened 150 years ago, the reader will feel as if it happened yesterday.
This is the story of a group of two dozen very brave Union soldiers from Ohio infiltrating the border between the US and the CSA for the purpose of stealing a locomotive (The General) and bringing it back to the Union lines while burning bridges, cutting telegraph wires and tearing up track during the exfiltration. As they fled toward the border, The Texas, a locomotive manned by outraged Confederates, gave chase - managing to stay on track in spite of dodging the damage done by the Union troops on the fleeing General. The infiltrators were led by a civilian named James Andrews, Andrews was a tall, handsome, dark and imposing civilian with no military experience, no espionage experience but gifted with a golden tongue; he convinced a Union general that this would soften up the Rebs such that an invasion force could divide the Confederacy in two (divide and conquer, right?) Well, the plan was sound in its theory but so many things can go wrong in the fog of war and this raid was no exception. Today, little is known of the raid and its participants. During the Civil war it was a BIG DEAL. Things went badly for the raiders but what a thrill ride it was for them. The survivors received the very first Medals of Honor ever presented to American soldiers. For Civil War buffs, this is a must read. Actually, anyone who appreciates history will want to read this book: The author does a great job separating fact from fiction in this highly adventurous story from the US Civil War. The story has been made into at least two Hollywood films and should be considered for another treatment by Hollywood. Although it happened 150 years ago, the reader will feel as if it happened yesterday.
December 18, 2013
This book is the story of an unsuccessful raid to steal a steam engine in Atlanta and cripple the Confederate railroad supply line to its troops. The raiders, led by a northern spy but consisting mainly of volunteers from the Union Army, were captured, some were executed and others spent time in southern prisons. The Union soldiers were the first recipients of the Congressional Metal of Honor.
Over the years, the story was exaggerated and embellished, Hollywood movies were made that deviated largely from the fact. This book is a historically researched attempt to set the record straight. It was a pretty interesting story, and Bronson Pinchot did a more than adequate job narrating the audio book. I've seen reviews that panned his narration and frankly I don't understand why.
I highly recommend this book for Civil War buffs.
Over the years, the story was exaggerated and embellished, Hollywood movies were made that deviated largely from the fact. This book is a historically researched attempt to set the record straight. It was a pretty interesting story, and Bronson Pinchot did a more than adequate job narrating the audio book. I've seen reviews that panned his narration and frankly I don't understand why.
I highly recommend this book for Civil War buffs.
April 26, 2021
Wow - this is not what I expected... interesting insight into a piece of the Civil War of the quest of group from Ohio on mission to the Deep South to steal the “General” right from under the confederates’ nose. The race to the time the Union line was exhilarating - but fell short. Then the story covers the journey of each through captivity, trial and some that eventually escape. I think most would enjoy this book (I chose the audio version).
October 10, 2018
Excellent narrative history of the Andrews Raid. Although I listened to the audiobook (excellent narration by Bronson Pinchot [fortunately not in his Balki/Serge voice]), and as usual, bibligraphic information was deleted, it appeared that the author did his research. The imprisonment and execution scenes are bleak, so be forewarned.
November 10, 2019
When in Kennesaw for a sporting event, I took the opportunity to check out the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. There I learned of the General and it’s history. Wanting to learn more, I checked this book out of the library. I’m glad I did as I learned much more detail about the great locomotive chase as well as the Medal of Honor. Those that like Civil War history should enjoy this book. It was well written.
October 29, 2021
This book tells the story of one of the more colorful, yet ultimately insignificant, chapters of the Civil War: the Union plan to infiltrate soldiers behind Confederate lines, hijack a locomotive outside Atlanta, and flee with it north to Chattanooga, destroy the railroad and telegraph lines behind it, and prevent the Confederates from reinforcing Chattanooga from the south, thereby making it easy pickings for the Union army. The effort accomplished little due to the failure of Union leaders to provide a way for their soldiers to obtain necessary equipment for lifting rails and a spirited Confederate pursuit led by a dogged southern railroad conductor. The Union soldiers were captured short of their goal by the Confederates and imprisoned, where some were tried and executed as spies, while others languished in prison until escaping or being exchanged for Confederate prisoners held by the Union.
The basic problem of this book is that while the episode might make for a rousing historical article, there isn't enough material there to justify a book-length treatment. As a result, the narrative tends to lag while the author fills out the space required for a book. I therefore give the book three stars.
Cinema enthusiasts will recognize the great locomotive chase as the source material for at least two films. One is the silent film classic The General, in which Buster Keaton plays the southern railroad conductor who led the ultimately successful chase to recover the General. (Locomotives at the time were named like ships, showing the high regard people at the time had for these technological wonders, and the locomotive taken by the raiders was called the General.) The second was a 1956 Disney adventure film called The Great Locomotive Chase, in which Fess Parker took a break from playing Davy Crockett to portray James Andrews, the leader of the raiders.
The basic problem of this book is that while the episode might make for a rousing historical article, there isn't enough material there to justify a book-length treatment. As a result, the narrative tends to lag while the author fills out the space required for a book. I therefore give the book three stars.
Cinema enthusiasts will recognize the great locomotive chase as the source material for at least two films. One is the silent film classic The General, in which Buster Keaton plays the southern railroad conductor who led the ultimately successful chase to recover the General. (Locomotives at the time were named like ships, showing the high regard people at the time had for these technological wonders, and the locomotive taken by the raiders was called the General.) The second was a 1956 Disney adventure film called The Great Locomotive Chase, in which Fess Parker took a break from playing Davy Crockett to portray James Andrews, the leader of the raiders.
August 14, 2017
A civil war story without all the usual civil war stuff.
January 13, 2011
Great piece of Civil War history. The 'Great Locomotive Chase' was based on this story. I didn't know anything about it, very informative and weaves in the raider's personal stories with the main events of the Civil War very effectively. My only criticism is the author incorrectly assumes that all of his readers already know how it all goes down, so his book is littered with spoilers, even on the book jacket, about the own very dramatic story he is telling. I know a fair amount about the Civil War and knew almost nothing of this case. I think he could have built up the ultimate drama much more.
April 14, 2022
Really fascinating book about a lesser known incident in the American Civil War. In April 1862, 22 Soldiers and 2 civilians were sent on a mission to steal a train in Georgia and run it north, sabotaging the rail line along the way. The hope was that by doing so, Chattanooga would be isolated from Southern reinforcements allowing General Mitchell to capture the then sparsely defended town.
Ultimately, only 20 of the 24 men made it to Big Shanty, GA (now Kennesaw) where they successfully stole the engine named the General. The General's original conductor chased them down, first on foot, then with a push cart, then with two commandeered engines. In the final stages, both the General and the pursing engine Texas were hurtling along the track at times reaching speeds over 60 mph. Finally, low on fuel with the Texas at their heels, the men abandoned the General at Ringgold, GA and fled into the countryside where they were all captured my local militia.
The captured men, along with 2 compatriots who had overslept and missed the train, were held and tried as spies. Convicted of espionage, 8 were hung, including the leader James Andrews. Of the remainder, 8 escaped and made it back to the Union and 6 were exchanged as prisoners of war. Nineteen of the 22 original soldiers were eventually awarded the then new Medal of Honor, including, Pvt. Jacob Parrot who was the first to ever receive the award.
The book reads better than a movie. Highly recommended!
Ultimately, only 20 of the 24 men made it to Big Shanty, GA (now Kennesaw) where they successfully stole the engine named the General. The General's original conductor chased them down, first on foot, then with a push cart, then with two commandeered engines. In the final stages, both the General and the pursing engine Texas were hurtling along the track at times reaching speeds over 60 mph. Finally, low on fuel with the Texas at their heels, the men abandoned the General at Ringgold, GA and fled into the countryside where they were all captured my local militia.
The captured men, along with 2 compatriots who had overslept and missed the train, were held and tried as spies. Convicted of espionage, 8 were hung, including the leader James Andrews. Of the remainder, 8 escaped and made it back to the Union and 6 were exchanged as prisoners of war. Nineteen of the 22 original soldiers were eventually awarded the then new Medal of Honor, including, Pvt. Jacob Parrot who was the first to ever receive the award.
The book reads better than a movie. Highly recommended!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2020
I'm giving this 4 stars because it set out to be a comprehensive account of The Great Locomotive Chase and the people involved. This does make it a long and dense read. But anyone looking for a detailed account of what is known to be true, what is claimed to be true, and what is likely more fiction than not should definitely invest the time in this book.
That said, I listened to it in audio format because I don't know how long it would have taken me to tackle this in print.
My interest in this book is 100% tied to my interest in Buster Keaton and his masterpiece, The General (which is inspired by the train heist and the engineer who relentlessly pursued the soldiers, but is not a retelling of the actual events). I am not a war buff, and do not seek war stories as a general rule.
As interesting and daring as the heist and train chase were, the rest of the story is just sad. So many lives lost, over both the event, and its failure (if it could have ended the war sooner). In the end, though, I am glad to have learned about the actual people involved and about what really happened to them, and I appreciate Bonds' efforts in doing justice in accounting the events and the aftermath for the raiders.
That said, I listened to it in audio format because I don't know how long it would have taken me to tackle this in print.
My interest in this book is 100% tied to my interest in Buster Keaton and his masterpiece, The General (which is inspired by the train heist and the engineer who relentlessly pursued the soldiers, but is not a retelling of the actual events). I am not a war buff, and do not seek war stories as a general rule.
As interesting and daring as the heist and train chase were, the rest of the story is just sad. So many lives lost, over both the event, and its failure (if it could have ended the war sooner). In the end, though, I am glad to have learned about the actual people involved and about what really happened to them, and I appreciate Bonds' efforts in doing justice in accounting the events and the aftermath for the raiders.
March 13, 2024
For anyone unfamiliar with this event, this was a steam locomotive that was stolen by Union spies during the Civil War. The engine was recovered and is now in a museum in Kennesaw, Georgia, which is on my travel list. There was a chase for the spies and the train, which was pretty dramatic to read about. I have never read a book about train theft until this one. If you are interested in Civil War history, this was a pretty good book.
My ex-fiancée is buried at the Chattanooga National Cemetery, and there is a monument to Andrew's Raiders right near the entrance on Holtzclaw Avenue. If you happen to be in the area, you may find that to be a point of interest. There are also a couple of other notable figures buried there. As far as the book goes, it was really interesting to be able to put places with parts of the story. I do encounter that pretty often when reading about the Civil War, being from the Chattanooga Area, but it is neat since I mostly read European history to be able to do that. I thought the book was well researched and well written, and I learned a lot more about this than I previously knew.
My ex-fiancée is buried at the Chattanooga National Cemetery, and there is a monument to Andrew's Raiders right near the entrance on Holtzclaw Avenue. If you happen to be in the area, you may find that to be a point of interest. There are also a couple of other notable figures buried there. As far as the book goes, it was really interesting to be able to put places with parts of the story. I do encounter that pretty often when reading about the Civil War, being from the Chattanooga Area, but it is neat since I mostly read European history to be able to do that. I thought the book was well researched and well written, and I learned a lot more about this than I previously knew.
July 2, 2017
James Andrews as scout/spy, eastern TN 2to1 union, Mitchell astronomy, 24 Andrew’s Raiders ages 17-33 all Ohio Mitchell Raiders telegraph bridges, go to Marietta first 200 miles in 4 days, 2 recruited on journey to one to canons and other escaped, Chattanooga a wild place, after engine left station 3 ran on foot, journey to Chat has 28 full circles at 1% grade, RR accidents 14xEngland, made 89 miles then 20 abandoned all captured, one whipped, dungeon in Chat where 7 hung-2 twice plus Andrews after 12 mile escape, Andrews strangled as hung, fiancée died 2 years later, 10 Atlanta jail 8escaped 2 went 400 miles down river 2onUGRR, 8 returned to duty, 6 made it to Stanton and Lincoln for first Medal of Honor recipients 3.25.63, all but 4 received initial medals, Mitchell went to Hilton Head SC first town of 1500 freed slaves.
October 17, 2017
Wow, if you ever want to read about the very last detail of this raid, this is your book. It follows the events from their inception to the conclusion of the lives of all involved. I'd rate it a 5 star except the author kept referring to events that happened in that area 1 to 2 years after the raid, and where totally unrelated. In other words, what Sherman did along the same rail path two years later was unrelated to the raid (while of course being related to the railroad). So, the narrative is bogged down somewhat by the authors obsession to both the war and detail. That said, a truly comprehensive retelling of the CREAT TRAIN CHASE.
March 17, 2019
This is a great story and had the potential to be rated much higher. The climax of the book occurs way too early. Additionally, there are too many superfluous details. The captures and courts-martial were too disjointed and drawn out (it would have been better if he simply picked a pair to follow and wrote that story summarizing the others). The very last sections read like a textbook on the MOH and deaths of the stakeholders. This effectively kills any momentum the book still had. Three stars.
June 8, 2018
Informative and enthralling read. Interest kept throughout with many details of the events. Story helps to understand what was going on in this time period, how inept leadership prevented the Union from early success in this theater of war. Although the raid ended unsuccessfully, it still was a bright spot hi-lighting the courage of a few for the good of the Union.
September 30, 2019
Interesting bit of Civil War history, but overlong with wholly unnecessary direct quotes featuring racial slurs and stereotypical, minstrel-show style quoted statements of black people from third party written accounts. The quotes added nothing that couldn't have been done via paraphrasing without giving the racism a revival.
October 29, 2019
I loved the first half of the book! It was extremely detailed and gave more historical information than I imagined. The railroad chase ended about halfway through the book. The remainder of the book got a little slow as it told the individual accounts of each of the raiders and what happened to them after the chase ended.
February 14, 2021
This book needed an editor, seriously. The author clearly knows his stuff and he did A LOT of research - apparently all of which went into this, no matter how relatively unimportant or miniscule it was to telling the story. This book was way more boring than an adventure story about stealing a locomotive and escaping from prison in the Civil War should have been.
March 11, 2022
Read this book for a second time. The first time was nearly fifteen years ago. I enjoyed it the second time around. I've always been interested in The Great Locomotive Chase. This book is very in-depth and informative. The author did a great job and gather the information needed for this book. Anyone interested in the Civil War should read Stealing the General.
January 20, 2017
Very well researched and written account of early Civil War exploit. After our recent visit to Kennesaw Mountain and the railroad museum where the General is displayed, the book filled in the details and gave life to the participants.
April 5, 2018
I'm a terrible Georgia peach who didn't know much about this event in my state's history. I saw the locomotive "Texas" at the Atlanta History Center during a sneak peek a while back, then listened to the book. Bronson Pinchot is a terrific reader, and I learned a lot.
July 6, 2018
a VERY through read. only 1/3 of the book is about the raid itself with the rest dedicated to time leading up to the raid and a LOT of detailed info about the lives of those involved after the raid.
Book is a bit dry but a good read.
Book is a bit dry but a good read.
February 22, 2020
This Historic Tome is History and Historiography of the "tellin's" of this great adventure. It is amazing to what is known...and also what it not known for certain in this thrilling adventure into one of the oddest/bravest military actions of the Civil War.
I loved it.
I loved it.
July 1, 2020
Really interesting story & well written. It's one of those unique adventures in the midst of war that is quirky, dangerous, fast-paced, yet fun. Also, historical not only in the taking of the General but also the first recipients of the Medal of Honor .
November 22, 2020
Interesting tale about an obscure event early in the war that is almost comical event by modern standards, but deadly serious for contemporaries. The story is interesting, if long-winded. The author provides plenty of context for the era, locations, and people involved.
June 10, 2017
Good read about a key event during the Civil War that may be unknown to many people.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews