Medal of Honor recipients retrace Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase

Medal of Honor recipients retrace Civil War?s Great Locomotive Chase

Thirteen Medal of Honor recipients traced the route of the Civil War's Great Locomotive Chase. The Great Locomotive Chase led to the awarding of the very first Medals of Honor in 1863. The group started their day at the Atlanta History Center, stopped in Kennesaw where the Great Locomotive Chase began, and boarded a train to Ringgold.

ATLANTA - Thirteen Medal of Honor recipients retraced the route of the Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase on Tuesday, a historic event that led to the awarding of the very first Medals of Honor in 1863.

What we know:

The group began the day at the Atlanta History Center, where they were welcomed by Gov. Brian Kemp.

"To say thank you to these worthy warriors but to connect with the history that has helped shape our nation and lay the foundation of the Medal of Honor," Kemp said.

From there, the recipients traveled to Kennesaw for a tour of the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, located where the famous 1862 raid began.

"It is very humbling to be in the presence of the recipients," said Kennesaw Mayor Derek Easterling.

The Great Locomotive Chase took place during the Civil War when James Andrews and his Union raiders stole the locomotive General near Kennesaw. They headed north, sabotaging tracks and bridges to disrupt Confederate supply lines before being captured. Several of the raiders later became the first Medal of Honor recipients.

On Tuesday, the modern-day honorees boarded a specialized CSX train in Kennesaw to retrace the route to Ringgold. Along the way, they reflected on the significance of the Medal of Honor.

"We fought for each other with our backs against the wall with the enemy heavily outnumbering us 30 to 1," said Jim "Doc" McCloughan, an Army medic awarded the Medal of Honor in 2017 for his actions in Vietnam.

"To be part of this reenactment where the long and courageous history of the Medal of Honor began is extremely powerful. And I’m just grateful they left a seat on the train for me to tag along," said Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, a U.S. Marine and Medal of Honor recipient.

What's next:

The recipients will continue to Chattanooga for Medal of Honor Celebration Week events.