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U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson Donates Artifact to Southern Museum

April 4, 2006

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) recently donated an artifact from the Texas, the locomotive that chased down the General, to the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History.  

With Congressmen Tom Price (R-Ga.) and Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), Georgia State Department of Transportation Board Member Johnny Gresham, Kennesaw Mayor Leonard Church, and Kennesaw Museum Foundation President Paul Chastain in attendance, Isakson recounted the story of his father-in-law’s discovery of the antique hasp (latch) from a toolbox that once traveled the railroads on the Texas.

William Hull Davison found the hasp on the ground next to the locomotive in Grant Park, Atlanta, in early 1927. It had been attached to the wooden toolbox that was mounted on the tender of the engine. After being exposed to weather for 16 years in the park where the locomotive was “temporarily” on display, the wood had completely decayed, leaving behind the hasp as a reminder of the long and exciting history of the Texas.

The locomotive’s most notable claim to fame was its high-speed chase during the Civil War. On April 12, 1862, Confederate Conductor William Fuller commandeered the Texas and chased down the General, which had been stolen that morning while passengers and crew were eating breakfast at the Lacy Hotel.

The raiders were stopped just before reaching Chattanooga. Some of those who were caught, including James J. Andrews and Sgt. John Scott, were hanged. The Union participants of the Great Locomotive Chase were later among the first recipients of the Medal of Honor, many posthumously.

The artifact will be placed in the Great Locomotive Chase collection at the Southern Museum.

A Smithsonian Institution affiliate, the Southern Museum features collections of rare Civil War weapons, uniforms, and other personal items; an exciting exhibit about The Great Locomotive Chase, including a short movie; a full-scale replica of a locomotive factory that helped rebuild the South after the war; and through May 21, a traveling exhibit featuring photographs of the people who dedicated their lives to the railroad.

The Southern Museum is located 20 miles north of Atlanta, off I-75 at exit 273.  Click here for visitor information, or call (770) 427-2117.