City Celebrates 150th Anniversary of Great Chase

Today marks the sesquicentennial of the , an event which shaped Kennesaw's history and will be remembered this week through a number of commemorative events.

The chase took place in 1862 when Union spies, under the leadership of James J. Andrews, hijacked the General locomotive outside the l in Big Shanty, or present-day Kennesaw. Ultimately, the hijackers were pursued, the Union mission failed, and the General was returned to Georgia.

The was a legal one, waged in court between the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the City of Chattanooga to determine the historic engine’s rightful owner. Long story short, the famous locomotive ended up right here in Kennesaw where it is presently housed at the

The museum will be open from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. today free of charge to the public. Below is a schedule of events planned for today and this weekend.

April 12 Sesquicentennial Celebration

• 6 a.m. Breakfast at the in downtown Kennesaw. Tickets are $20.
• 8:30 a.m. A 150th anniversary proclamation will be presented at the historic Kennesaw depot. There is no charge to attend.
• 6:30 p.m. The museum will hold the Great Locomotive Chase dinner at the Trackside Grill. (Tickets sold out.)
• 8 p.m. The museum will host “Dessert at the Southern Museum” featuring musician Bobby Horton, who will peform Civil War era songs. Tickets are $25 for those who do not attend the dinner.

Camp McDonald: A Living History Weekend

• On April 14 and 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., local re-enactment groups will recreate and interpret life in Camp McDonald, a Confederate encampment that was located across the tracks from the museum during the Civil War.
• Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 4-12, while children 3 and younger are free.
• Tickets also allow entry to the museum, which will operate under normal hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 14 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 15.

Learn more about the Great Locomotive Chase

• Looking for a good read and an in-depth account of the people, places and events surrounding the event?
• How exactly did the General end up housed in Kennesaw?
• Would you rather listen to the story unfold? Check here for an audio tour.

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