William Pittenger served as a Union Army soldier during the Civil War. As part of his service, he took part in Andrews' Raid, also known as the Great
Locomotive Chase. In this famous raid, Union soldiers took over a train in northern Georgia, heading towards Chattanooga, Tennessee. The goal was to destroy the Western and Atlantic Railroad. To ensure as much damage as possible was done, the telegraph lines were cut so Confederate forces up the line could not be notified. Just 18 miles south of Chattanooga the train ran out of fuel. Pittenger, along with other raiders, fled.
This work tells the intense story of the Great Locomotive Chase as it was led by a civilian, James J. Andrews. Pittenger went on to become one of the first recipients of the Medal of Honor. Later he became a professor, then a pastor. He also wrote other books: Oratory, Sacred and Secular (1881); and Extempore Speech (1882).