Preview from the Drawn to Darkness Series - Big Shanty

Big Shanty
Preview from the  Drawn to Darkness series

 

Martin was walking down the tree covered street he had traveled many times before, when out of nowhere there was a flash. He found himself on a dirt road, with no trees, a split rail fence, freshly plowed cotton field, and a lone church, in the distance, doors open, drawing him in, at the altar he knelt and prayed, afraid, lost and in pain. Leaving the church, dazed, confused, walking back down the road, where he blacked out.

As the ambulance rounded the corner to the emergency room entrance, Martin recovered consciousness and was told about the bomb that exploded so near him! He thought about the cotton fields, dirt road, missing trees, fence, and that lone church, with unpainted boards, never seen, never been there before. He had been in another place for thirty minutes, too real to be a dream. The bomb was in a mail box across the street from where he was walking. A district attorney’s home and he was just an innocent by-stander. After being treated for shock and a few bruises Martin was released from the hospital.

The police questioning went on for hours with strange looks from his interrogators as he explained about the dirt road and cotton fields. Someone explained that cotton had not been grown in this area for more than a hundred years, and there was only one church within blocks of where he was injured. The Mt. Zion Church was just up the road from where the bomb exploded, and it dated back to the 1800’s.

A week later Martin was walking down the same street and as he neared the broken mail box – he experienced the same flash, and again the trees were gone. The road turned to dirt, and the cotton fields were now full of people picking cotton. At the church he met the pastor and asked him where he was. Down the road about a half mile was Big Shanty, just a train stop, Martin knew the place well as he had moved there several years before, but it did not look like this and it was now called Kennesaw. The next question, really had him puzzled, “What day is this?”

“Why its Monday, April 7, 1862!” as the pastor began to stare at his clothing. He sat down on one of the pews, and rubbed his head. When he looked up he was all alone, he could hear traffic on the road in front of the church and everything was back to normal. The Church bell sounded the noon hour and he checked his watch, he had been gone for one hour!

Martin thought about his experiences, thirty minutes the first time, an hour the second time, would there be a third? He needed to find out more about what was going on! Until he could figure some things out he would not walk down that street again.

The church was his only clue, and the pastor told him that it was Monday, April 7, 1862. Today was April 7, 2012!. Was last week also in 1862? What happen in 1862, too many questions flashed through Martin’s mind. He needed much more information, and clothes that would match the times, so as not to draw so much attention. And just how long would he be there the next time?

A visit to the Big Shanty Museum, and Martin discovered the following:

 On April 12, 1862, James J. Andrews and a band of Yankee spies boarded the northbound train at Marietta. This mixed train was powered by the locomotive, The General. At Big Shanty, the crew and the passengers left the train to eat breakfast at the Lacy Hotel. While in plain view of the soldiers at Camp McDonald, Andrews and his men stole The General and headed north to destroy the Western and Atlantic Railroad.

Figure 1 Andrews' Raiders

Five days from now, or in the past, five days from now, spies would be stealing the General and a chase would start! The temptation was great as Martin thought about the possibilities! Martin collected some old clothes and removed all the labels and anything that might have a date.

One quick trip just to make sure that this was not just a dream. Martin stood looking at the mail box and wondering if it were repaired would his trips to the past continue. As he stepped up even with the mail box, the flash blinded him. He would be more cautious next time and not look at it.

By 1846, forty-five miles of track ran from Terminus, as Atlanta was originally called, to Cartersville. Several small towns were along the railroad including Vinings, Smyrna, Marietta and Big Shanty. Big Shanty got its name from a group of workers shanties on the high ground near the tracks. It was first known as “big grade to the shanties” and was later shortened to “Big Shanty Grade”. This is the high point of the railroad between the Chattahoochee and Etowah Rivers and is now Kennesaw.

Figure 2 Big Shanty 1862.

Martin visited the Lacy Hotel and walked around camp McDonald until his two hours were up, then there he was on present day Main Street in the middle of Kennesaw.

Early on the morning of April 12, 2012 Martin took off his watch, and dug through his junk box and found his Grandfather’s pocket watch. He removed his wallet, put on the old clothes and headed out toward the ill-fated mail box. The flash did not seem so bright this time, but he recognized the cotton field and church right away. This time he headed straight southwest across the cotton field toward the Western & Atlantic Railroad tracks. As he pushed down the barb wire, and cautiously bent over into the wet weeds still covered with the morning dew, or a shower. Martin watched to see if there were any bulls in the field. His shoes were cover with mud, and his paints wet to the knees from the wet weeds at the edge of the field. Martin knew that he would be about a half mile north of Big Shanty. Martin found some bushes, and trees along the tracks, and settled down to see what would happen.

As Martin sat there on a rock, under a chestnut tree, picking off beggar lice, he thought, “This is crazy, what am I doing here?” He thought about his family, his parents would not miss him until dinner time and his girl friend, Sue was working. “I should be out looking for work instead of playing Civil War games!” The morning was quiet, and Martin could see smoke hanging in the trees from the cook fires at Camp McDonald to the south at Big Shanty, or was that the smoke from the General ?

About an hour passed, then in the distance he heard shots, and as the General steamed by he could make out about a half-dozen men crammed into the cab. About ten minutes later, three men came running up the tracks chasing the locomotive. The cross ties made running difficult, as the space between them was too narrow for a long stride, and two cross ties were too far apart. The man in the lead was tall and had on a uniform, this must be Fuller the conductor, his long legs enabled him to hit every other cross tie as he ran.

The other two men were shorter, and were dressed in overalls. They were panting hard as they ran by, taking short steps in order to step on each cross tie, unable to get into a running stride. The rocks along side the tracks were even more difficult to run on! Martin fell in behind them and tried to keep up. After a while they stopped to rest, exhausted the tall man sat down on the tracks and with his head between his hands, was mumbling something. As Martin approached he asked the others what was going on. One of the men in overalls responded, “Spies have stole Mr. Fullers train.”

The man on the tracks shouted, “Come on Jeff we may be able to get help at Moon’s Station.” Jeff was breathing harder than the other two and he looked frail.

It was an overcast day and cool from an overnight shower, which helped, but after two more short breaks the three began to express doubt about being able to catch the train. Martin walked over to Mr. Fuller and said, “ Your going to make it, there is a push car at Moon’s Station and a work engine fired up and waiting in Etowah.”

Mr. Fuller looked surprised, “How do you know this?”

“Trust me, I believe that God has sent me to encourage you!” The men took off again with renewed energy, and after a long two mile run they reached Moon’s Station.

Jackson Bond, a workman at Moon’s Station was surprised and joined the other three in the chase.

The four men struggled  to lift the push car and place it on the tracks for the down grade ride to Etowah Mr. fuller introduced the other two, Jeff, and Anthony, thanking Martin for the help.

“Mind if I come along?”

“Sure, we can use all the help we can get!”

As Martin jumped on the push car and the five men pushed hard heading north on the slight down hill grade fourteen miles to the Etowah river. At Etowah, they found the Yonah, a work engine fired up and ready to go.

Figure 3 Model of the Yonah.

Martin explained that he would be missed and had better head back, wishing them well. Martin sat down and waited, almost four hours had passed, and he hoped he had guessed correctly. His time in the past was doubling on each trip!

All of a sudden he heard a car pass by on a highway above the tracks. That  must be US 41, Martin thought, as he climbed the embankment to the road and stuck out his thumb, hoping to get a ride back to Kennesaw.

During the week Martin thought about the raid and wondered what happened. He visited the Coin shop in Marietta and bought some old  Confederate bills, for expenses. He picked up a couple of $10.00 notes dated 1861 for $20.00 each, and he also carried a $100 [H2] note that he knew was counterfeit, given to him by his Aunt. He would only use it if necessary, as it was dated 1864!

Monday, with everyone at work and with eight hours to spend in the past, Martin took a chance. Big Shanty was all a buzz with the new prisoners being held in the compound at Camp McDonald. There was talk of hanging them all. Martin stayed in the shadows trying not to draw attention to himself and bought a ticket to Cartersville. The General was back on schedule now. The army was on high alert and solders were posted every mile along the tracks. As the General stopped at Moon’s Station for water, the conductor, Mr. Fuller, checked everyone on the train, looking them over closely. When he got to Martin, he recognized him and stopped. “You missed all the excitement, we picked up the south bound Texas, just south of Adairsville and was joined by the Catoosa who had just let the spies go by, and chased them until they ran out of wood. They stopped for a fight, but the cavalry showed up and chased them into the woods. Most all of them were rounded up, included the leader.” He thanked Martin again and told him to keep his eyes open for spies.

The rest of the ride was uneventful, the Etowah River was full and running muddy from the spring rains. Parts of Cartersville was flooded along the river bank. As Martin was touring the town, his time ran out and he heard the screech of brakes as a car swerved to miss him walking down the middle of the road! This was a problem, to come back to the present, not knowing what would be going on around him. Also what if he were searched and they found the present day cash he was carrying for bus fare?

A bus ride back to Kennesaw to figure out the next trip.

It was Tuesday, May the 6^th before Martin could worked out the details for the next trip. It would have to be an overnight trip, sixteen hours, to be exact. Martin said that he would be spending the night with a friend and that he would be picking him up, so the car could stay at home.

This time he would try for Ringgold. Martin was at the Lacy hotel at 6:00AM for breakfast and to get a ticket to Ringgold. Martin picked up a news paper, it had the complete story of the raid.

Saturday, April 12, 1862 – Andrews’ Raid

As the north bound passenger train with several empty box cars stopped for breakfast at Big Shanty a band of union spies stole the locomotive General and three box cars. Stopping at Moon’s Station two miles up the track, they talked Jackson Bond, the section foreman out of a couple of pry bars from the log shed at the station.

At Etowah, near the Cooper Iron works the Yonah, a work engine sat on a siding ready to start the day.  James J. Andrews, leading the raid left the locomotive and continued north cutting the telegraph lines. At Kingston they were delayed by south bound freights that were not on the time table. The trains had red marker flags, giving them right of passage heading south.  Just north of Kingston the raiders removed a section of track then continue on north of  Calhoun where they stopped to cut the lines again and tear up more track.

William Allen Fuller, Jefferson Cain, and Murphy took off on foot from Big Shanty after the General with shots being fired at the raiders from the men walking guard at Camp McDonald. Exhausted from the run to Moon’s Station, they enlisted the aid of Bond and placed a push car on the tracks for the fourteen mile down hill grade to Etowah.

At the Cooper Iron works on the Etowah river they commandeered the locomotive Yonah, and proceeded north after the raiders. At Kingston they switched to the locomotive William R. Smith and continued north towards Adairsville. Two miles south of Adairsville they found the tracks destroyed and had to continue on foot again. The southbound locomotive Texas was stopped, the cars pushed onto a siding and run in reverse after the raiders. At Calhoun Fuller picked eleven solders and a telegraph operator Edward Henderson

As they pulled out of Calhoun they caught sight of the raiders working on the tracks, they did not have enough time to do more than cut the lines, then try to out run the Texas. They dropped one box car slowing down the Texas, then dropped the second one just south of Resaca.

With the General in sight most of the way the raiders did not have time to stop again. At Dalton the Telegraph operator, Henderson jumps off and gets a wire sent ahead, warning the stations up the line.

At Tunnel Hill Fuller pushes through the tunnel blind to a possible ambush and continues the chase through Ringgold. After two more miles the General, with wet wood and low on water comes to a stop. The raiders scatter into the woods as the chase ends.

Escaped was Corporal Daniel Allen Dorsey, William James, John Alfred Wilson, John Wollam, and Mark Wood. The rest are being held for a trial in Chattanooga.

Martin got a room in Ringgold, exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. The fall jarred him awake as he hit the ground hard. His sixteen hours were up, the hotel he was staying in was gone and he must have fell the one story to the spot were the hotel once stood. Thankfully still an empty lot.

Martin wanted to know what happen in Chattanooga, on June 6^th. He now knew that he would have to plan ahead so as to know where he would be when he came back to the future, after the close calls he had before. He thought about catching the train to Chattanooga and returning the next day, sit in the park were he knew it would be safe for the return.

The ride to Chattanooga was uneventful and he was becoming a familiar face on the train now. As they arrived in Chattanooga, there was a lot of excitement. General Mitchel’s Third Division was bombarding the city with four and one-half inch guns from across the river. Martin worked his way from the train station up Lookout Street to the Swims Jail, hoping to get a glimpse of Andrews at the jail. People were running all around and the solders were moving back out of range of the guns. The jail was closely guarded, but Martin overheard one of the guards say that the prisoner would be gone tomorrow. Martin knew that he was going to be put on the early south bound train for Atlanta to be hung. Martin bought a ticket for Big Shanty and stayed up all night watching for the transfer, so he could get on the same car and close to Andrews.

He was in heavy shackles as the four guards pushed him onto the train in the early morning before daylight. Martin got the seat in front of the guards and started up a friendly conversation. He pretended not to know who the prisoner was. “I sure am glad to be getting out of town before them Dam Yankees cross the river.”, as Martin drew a hard look from Andrews. “Did they catch the other spy?”

Andrews spoke up, “John is a sharp fellow, he will make it.”

As the train approached Ringgold, Martin commented, “This must be where you were stopped.”

“Yea, if it hadn’t been for that stubborn conductor, Fuller, we would have shortened this war.”

“You do know they will hang you as soon as you get to Atlanta, don’t you?”

Andrews gave Martin a knowing look, as if he had made things right with God and was ready.

Martin felt good about having talked with Andrews, but he was sorry that he could not share more, but the solders were listening to every word and looking for spies that might try to free Andrews.

The train only made a brief stop at Big Shanty, Martin checked his watch as he looked for his park bench and settled in for a short nap.

Martin’s girl friend was getting more than curious about his trips and was starting to ask a lot of questions. He had dated Sue most of their senior year, and Sue had a job waiting for her after graduation. Martin was not having any success at finding a job and his heart was not really in it, with all the excitement of the past few weeks. Now the trips to the past were getting longer and Martin did not know how much longer it would continue, or if he may get stuck in the past. Time to level with Sue and tell her everything, not knowing if she would believe him! The next trip would be sixty-four hours, two and one-half days!

“What are you talking about-time travel! There is no such thing!”

“I know it sounds crazy, so take a walk with me, I will be back in three days so make up a story for me.”

As they reach the mail box, Sue was all alone, confused and mad!

Martin walked south to Marietta to look for work, he needed more cash from the past. At the Fletcher House hotel he got a job as a bell hop, saving all of his tips and money from shinning shoes. He then returned to the church, where he knew that his return would be safe, no cars or holes to fall into. This time travel was risky business. If all went well the next trip would be five days, enough time to travel to Knoxville and see what happen to the raiders that were taken to Knoxville, Tennessee on May 31, 1862.

 

Copyright © 2015 Hubert Clark Crowell