Day 47: James Andrews

A man who lived in Flemingsburg led an interesting event during the Civil War.

According to local historian Ron Bailey, while James Andrews was not born in Flemingsburg. He was born in Holiday’s Cove, Va. but moved to Flemingsburg in 1859.

Once he arrived in Flemingsburg, he began working as a house painter and a clerk at the Flemingsburg Hotel.

When the Civil War began, Andrews pledged his allegiance to the Union Army and eventually became a spy.

“The exploits of Andrews, his men, and their pursuers inspired the book The Great Locomotive Chase and the 1926 Buster Keaton silent film, The General, also Walt Disney made a movie of Andrews’ exploits in 1956 called The Great Locomotive Chase starring Fess Parker as Andrews,” Bailey said.

While he was living in Flemingsburg, he met Elizabeth Layton, who resided at the home of William T. Lindsay. Before leaving for a mission, Andrews proposed to Layton.

The mission had actually been proposed by Andrews and accepted by Gen. Buell and Gen. Mitchel, according to Bailey.

On April 12, 1862, Andrews, William “Bill” Campbell and 22 volunteers from three Ohio infantry regiments put on civilian clothes, stole a locomotive known as The General at Big Shanty near Kennesaw, Ga.

“The plan was to destroy the railroads of the Confederate as they believed if they could destroy rail lines it could hamper the Confederate forces. Heavy rains derailed most of their plan as the rain prevented setting fires to the numerous rail trestles,” Bailey said.

According to Bailey, they ran out of wood and water about 87 miles later. They stopped near Ringgold, Ga. There, the men were captured by the Confederate forces. It was determined by the Confederates that Andrews was the ringleader and mastermind behind the mission.

Andrews was court-martialed and sentenced to death by hanging.

He was hanged on June 7, 1862 in Atlanta, Ga., 10 days before he was supposed to marry Layton.