Photo Every Day 2024

Last week, on the first day of Spring, my youngest daughter and I went for a drive hoping to find some things that were interesting and inspired us to take some photos.

For the past several days I have been posting some of the photos that I took. Here is the last photo that I took.

This is a statue that stands in the center of our little village of Apple Creek. It is a depiction of Private William James Knight, who was born in Apple Creek, OH on January 24, 1837. He served in the 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the American Civil War.

Pvt. Knight was one of 22 soldiers who volunteered to be a part of the Andrews Raid of April, 1862, which brought the first Union soldiers into north Georgia, and was the only excursion that led to a locomotive chase (which, let’s be honest, sounds pretty epic).

Here’s what happened…

A Kentucky man by the name of James Andrews became a civilian spy, offering to help the north by leading a small band of soldiers behind enemy lines to steal a train in Atlanta, GA and race it back north to Nashville, TN, burning the long railroad bridge over the Tennessee River at Bridgeport behind them. Unfortunately, that original plan failed to come to fruition because the much-needed engineer never showed up at the designated meeting place. Without the engineer, the plan was impossible to pull off.

Andrews came up with a second plan, which consisted of stealing a train from near Kennesaw, GA (about 27 miles northwest of Atlanta), and racing it north to Chatanooga, TN, which is just across the Tennessee line. Once they made it to Chatanooga, they would be met by the Union army, who would be advancing on the Confederates stationed in Chatanooga.

Unfortunately, the plan was doomed.

James Andrews and his raiders did manage to steal the locomotive known as The General at Big Shanty, near Kennesaw, GA. Early in the morning, the raiders uncoupled the passenger cars and steamed out of Big Shanty hauling only three empty boxcars behind them, engineered by none other than Pvt. William James Knight.

The conductor of the stolen train pursued the raiders by foot, by handcar, and by commandeering other trains (even chasing the stolen train for more than 51 miles by driving another train in reverse!).

Andrews and his raiders cut telegraph lines as they raced north, and destroyed as much track as they could behind them, but the stolen train lost power before they ever managed to cross the Tennessee state line, and the Confederates were hot on their trail. All of the men in the stolen train were forced to scatter. Eight of the train thieves were captured by the Confederate army, including James Andrews. All eight men were promptly executed in Atlanta, GA.

Pvt. William James Knight managed to escape and made his way back to the north.

All of the soldiers who participated in the Andrews Raid of 1862 were awarded the Medal of Honor by the U.S. Congress.

Quite a story, huh?!

Last week I promised a special surprise would be coming with my final photo from our little drive, and you may be tempted to think this story was the surprise. But it’s not.

The special surprise is that I also wanted to share this photo, which my youngest daughter took of the memorial.

I think she has an eye for photography!