WEBVTT

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In April of 1862 2 union soldiers ,

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private Philip G , Shadrack and private

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George D Wilson , along with 18 other

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soldiers assigned to various Ohio

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infantry regiments . Plus two civilians

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embarked upon a daring mission led by

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civilian scout James J . Andrews .

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The men are now known as Andrews

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Raiders and the event as The Great

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Locomotive Chase . The plan was to

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disrupt confederate supply lines by

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stealing a train in Atlanta and

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destroying bridges , track and

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telegraph wires while traveling north

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to Chattanooga . Unfortunately , the

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plan went awry . The train ran out of

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fuel just short of Chattanooga while

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being pursued . The men abandoned the

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locomotive and dispersed shortly after

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Andrews and his Raiders were captured .

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Eight of them escaped from jail . Six

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were released in a prisoner exchange

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and eight were tried and sentenced to

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death including Shadrack and Wilson .

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All but two of the enlisted Raiders

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were offered or awarded the medal of

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honor . Now , over 161 years

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later , Shadrack and Wilson have

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received the nation's highest military

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decoration for their bravery and

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sacrifice .