Background Great Locomotive Chase

illustration of nineteen men involved in great locomotive chase—seventeen union soldiers , 2 railroad employees chased them

major general ormsby m. mitchel, commanding federal troops in middle tennessee, sought way contract or shrink extent of northern , western borders of confederacy; pushing them permanently away from; and, out of, contact ohio , mississippi valleys. done; first, southward, , eastward penetration union base @ nashville, seize , sever memphis & charleston railroad between memphis , chattanooga (at time there no other railway links between mississippi river , east) , capture water , railway junction of chattanooga, tennessee, thereby severing western confederacy s contact both ohio , mississippi river valleys.

at time, standard means of capturing city encirclement cut off supplies , reinforcements, follow artillery bombardment , direct assault massed infantry. however, chattanooga s natural water , mountain barriers east , south made impossible forces mitchel had available. if somehow block railroad reinforcement of city atlanta southeast, take chattanooga. union army have rail reinforcement , supply lines rear, leading west union-held stronghold , supply depot of nashville, tennessee.

james j. andrews

james j. andrews, civilian scout , part-time spy, proposed daring raid mitchell destroy western , atlantic railroad useful reinforcement , supply link chattanooga atlanta , rest of georgia. recruited men known later andrews raiders . these civilian william hunter campbell , 22 volunteer union soldiers 3 ohio regiments: 2nd, 21st, , 33rd ohio infantry. andrews instructed men arrive in marietta, georgia, midnight of april 10, heavy rain caused one-day delay. traveled in small parties in civilian attire avoid arousing suspicion. 2 (samuel llewellyn , james smith) reached designated rendezvous point @ appointed time. llewellyn , smith joined confederate artillery unit, had been instructed in such circumstances. andrews proposal combined operation; general mitchel , forces first move on chattanooga; then, andrews’ raid promptly destroy rail line between chattanooga , atlanta. these simultaneous actions bring capture of chattanooga. andrews raid intended deprive confederates of integrated use of railways respond union advance, using interior lines of communication.

when union army threatened chattanooga, confederate states army (from naturally protected rear) first reinforce chattanooga s garrison atlanta. when sufficient forces had been deployed chattanooga stabilize situation , hold line, confederates launch counterattack chattanooga advantage of local superiority of men , materiel. process andrews raid sought disrupt.