Kingston

Andrews and his men spent a very frustrating hour and five minutes in Kingston before they were able to pull out. Kingston, being a junction point, had on hand a number of passengers and on-lookers that morning. The station attendants were inquisitive about strangers being there with Fuller's train and they demanded an explanation. The old switch tender, Uriah Stephens, did not believe Andrews and his story about rushing ammunition and powder through to General Beauregard at Cornith. Stephens was most reluctant to throw the switches for Andrews or to surrender switch keys to him. Further frustrating Andrews, a southbound freight was late, and when it did arrive, the first sign the Raiders noticed was the flags indicating another section was following. Still another section, making three trains in all, came in before the General was able to clear Kingston. While all this was going on, the Raiders cooped up in the box car grew concerned over the delay.

Just four minutes after the Raiders finally departed Kingston, Fuller, Murphy, and Cain arrived on the Yonah.

Drawn from descriptions furnished by Mr. Oliver Wiley Harbin, engineer on the Rome RR at Tunnel Hill, GA, Oct. 28, 1907. Map drawn by Wilbur G. Kurtz

Click on image to see a larger version of the complete map.

When Fuller and his party arrived at Kingston shortly after the General's departure they found nothing but confusion. Three southbound freights had pulled onto sidings to allow the General to speed on northward. Fuller realized quickly that it would be nearly impossible to move the freight trains around and allow the Yonah to pass. Consequently, he, Cain, and Murphy again resorted to foot power and ran around the southbounds and beyond Kingston Station to where the Rome Railroad's locomotive, the William R. Smith, was standing under steam and ready to roll. Conductor Fuller and his party, having gained a few more volunteers at Kingston, seized the William R. Smith and headed northward with engineer Oliver Wiley Harbin aboard.

The rain began to fall in earnest as the Raiders departed Kingston. While they were most anxious to get to Adairsville, where they expected to meet another southbound freight and pass it at the siding; they also realized the importance of obstructing the track again and cutting the telegraph wire. There was too much in the form of potential pursuit left at Kingston. The delay there had been costly and the Raiders needed to get beyond the Oostanaula River at Resaca in order to burn the bridges and put the road out of commission.

A short distance north of Kingston they stopped to load some cross ties and other wood to use in bridge burning. Lifting a rail here seemed to take forever. Finally they had enough spikes loose to wrench the rail from the ties. Just as they were engaged in doing this, they heard faintly, but unmistakably, the whistle of a northbound locomotive to the south. It could only be in pursuit of them and no sound could have been more unwelcome.

The whistle boosted the Raiders' adrenaline and with one convulsive effort they broke the rail. Quickly putting the broken pieces into one of the box cars, they pushed on to Adairsville with all possible speed.

Adairsville

As the Raiders reached Adairsville, there waited the expected freight train. The General pulled in and stopped alongside the freight. At once a storm of questions was asked and Andrews tried to give reasonable answers. In fact, he asked a few himself as to what was going on at Chattanooga. He learned that General Mitchel was moving eastward from Huntsville (right on schedule, Andrews thought) and this was creating panic in Tennessee.

After the questioning, the southbound freight moved out of Adairsville toward Kingston. As it passed the General, Andrews, Knight., Brown, and Wilson could see the name of the locomotive on the boiler, Texas, an engine that before the day was ended would also take its place in history.

Now, Andrews could sense the possible failure of his mission – that train whistle in his ear still echoing in his mind – and he ordered the engineer to let the General break loose, despite having been warned of other southbounds. Knight had been waiting for this word all morning. The General was in fine running condition. Knight had oiled her well during the long wait at Kingston and again had checked her over at Adairsville. A good head of steam had been built up. The three box cars were not a load for the General and the train made excellent time to Calhoun, where it nearly collided head-on with the southbound Catoosa.

The Catoosa crew, shaken by the close call, was unwilling to move out of the way until Andrews had given a proper explanation. His presence and movement without a flagman ahead was in violation of the rules of the railroad. Finally after much talk and persuasion, Andrews came out with a forceful "I've got to go on with no more delay!" Then he ordered the Catoosa to get out of his way.

Given in this form, the order had to be obeyed or openly disputed. The crew of the Catoosa chose to comply and proceeded to let the General pass.

Away from Calhoun and on the main track to Chattanooga with no more trains to contend with, the Raiders felt they were now free to accomplish their mission of burning bridges. The Oostanaula Bridge at Resaca was just ahead and would be their first attempt.

Meanwhile, Conductor Fuller and his party aboard the William R. Smith proceeded north from Kingston. Fuller decided to ride as pilot and watch ahead for any obstructions on the track. Thus it was that he saw in time the missing rail. The William R. Smith came to a stop and completed its role in the stirring events of the day.