04/12/2025
This monument marks the location where the Western & Atlantic Railroad locomotive “General” was abandoned by Andrews’ Raiders on the afternoon of April 12, 1862, during the daring and dramatic Civil War event known as the Great Locomotive Chase—163 years ago.
On that day, Union civilian scout James J. Andrews led a team of volunteers behind Confederate lines to steal the locomotive General from Big Shanty (present-day Kennesaw, Georgia). Their mission was to sabotage the Western & Atlantic Railroad between Atlanta and Chattanooga by destroying track, telegraph lines, and bridges—crippling Confederate supply lines in the process.
But the Confederates gave chase. Conductor William A. Fuller, on foot at first, later used several locomotives to pursue them—ultimately commandeering the Texas, which famously chased the General in reverse at full speed. Due to relentless pursuit, scarce fuel, and obstacles, the raiders abandoned the General just north of Ringgold, Georgia, where this monument now stands.
đź“Ť Location:
The stone marker is located at the edge of the CSX Western & Atlantic Subdivision (W&A Sub) along U.S. Route 151 (Boynton Drive), just north of Ringgold. The line remains an active mainline today, still in use by CSX Transportation, preserving the legacy of one of the South’s oldest railroad corridors.
🛤️ The Locomotives Today:
The General is preserved and displayed at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia. It's restored in its wartime livery with bold red and black accents.
The Texas, the pursuer, is now housed at the Atlanta History Center, restored in black and gold to its postwar appearance and representing the dramatic chase that helped foil the raid.
These two engines, now national treasures, tell the story of courage, speed, sabotage, and survival—forever tied to the rails of the CSX W&A Subdivision where it all unfolded.
