Union County Historical Society presentation
The Great Locomotive Chase

Former Fletcher House in Marietta, where many of the raiders spent the night.

It was a rainy Saturday, April 12, 1862, when around 5:00 a.m., James Andrews and 19 of his 21 raiders (the other 2 overslept) boarded the train in Marietta, Georgia. Thus began one of the most thrilling of all the exceptional events of the Civil War; Andrews Raid or the Great Locomotive Chase. The story of the chase between the locomotives General and Texas, is one of bravery, suspense, determination, coincidence, and technology. Even if Andrew's plan had succeeded, it is unlikely the course of the war would have been affected; but the event's ability to capture our imaginations has continued through the years.

On Saturday July 29, at 7:00 p.m. at the old Union County Courthouse on the square in Blairsville, you are invited to hear about the plan of a mysterious double agent and the repercussions of his daring raid. This free event will be hosted by the Union County Historical Society, and presented by Charlie Crawford, president of the Georgia Battlefields Association. Charlie is a retired Air Force colonel and has authored and edited numerous articles and papers on military and technical topics. Georgia Battlefields Association is a private, non-profit organization that works with other organizations to prevent the destruction of Civil War sites in Georgia. For more information log on to http://www.georgiabattlefields.org and http://unioncountyhistory.org