Capturing a Locomotive: A History of Secret Service in the Late War
By William Pittenger
- Release Date: 1969-12-31
- Genre: U.S. History
First published in 1881. A first-hand account of an incident from the American Civil War. According to Wikipedia: "William Pittenger (January 31, 1840 Knoxville, Jefferson County, Ohio – April 24, 1904 Fallbrook, California) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor... Pittenger was awarded the fifth ever Medal of Honor on March 25, 1863, for his service during the Great Locomotive Chase. His official citation reads: "One of the 19 of 22 men (including 2 civilians) who, by direction of Gen. Mitchell (or Buell), penetrated nearly 200 miles south into enemy territory and captured a railroad train at Big Shanty, Ga., in an attempt to destroy the bridges and tract between Chattanooga and Atlanta.”
