*** Oliver Wiley Harbin was born in Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, Georgia on the 16th day of June 1834. He was hardly fourteen years of age -in 1848- when he began railroading, and in 1859 he went to Rome, Georgia. On April 1st of this year, he went to work as engineer for the Rome Railroad Company, and served them in this capacity thirty-two years. He married at the age of 19. It was through Mr. James Bell , of Atlanta, that I learned that Mr. Harbin was yet living- and that his residence was at Tunnel Hill, Georgia. This was in August 1907. I wrote him, and got his reply September 5th. I visited Tunnel Hill, October 28, and was hospitably received by the veteran engineer, his wife, and a son-in-law, Mr. H. B. Moody. That afternoon and part of the evening, I secured the narrative as given here. Mr. Harbin was not at all enthusiastic about the reliability of his memory but the readiness with which he related his narrative and answered questions, was rather convincing.

In personal appearance, Mr. Harbin is a magnificent specimen of manhood. He stands six feet, two inches, and his actions speak of remarkable energy, vitality, and of one accustomed to doing things. Though the frost of 73 winters has settled upon hair and beard, he seems as active as when he ran locomotives with wide open throttles, and his blue eyes, -though somewhat the worse for the sudden flashes of light from the fire-box and lantern - are not greatly dimmed, and their frankness, with his native geniality, at once commend him as one of God’s honest men. Subsequent correspondence with Mr. Harbin has aided me in the preparation of the following narrative.Mr. Harbin’s Narrative

The diagram accompanying this represents the Railroad yards at the Kingston Station: it locates the main track, the various sidings and the “Y” made by the Rome Railroad. The drawing is copied from one made in the presence of Mr. Harbin at his residence in Tunnel Hill, Georgia. Mr. Harbin was in a position to know this ground thoroughly: for thirty-two years his short run from Rome to Kingston and back, the layover on the “Y” for the State Road passenger trains that met and passed in the neighborhood of Kingston, the transfer of freight cars from one road to the other over the different sidings, and in addition to this, service on the State Road itself, made him familiar with every detail of this portion of the Railroad world. The Kingston Depot was a stone building like the present one at Tunnel Hill -same color and same manner of construction in the main. The Depot was sixty feet long by twenty feet wide. Extending completely around the building was a platform ten or twelve feet wide, and 3 1/2 or 4 feet above the ground- to a level with a car floor. Unlike the Tunnel Hill station, the roof extended or hung over the platform, and was the same width. Steps were at the north side of the platform. At the north end of the building were two rooms. The one at the northwest corner was the Agent’s office, ant the one at northeast was the ladies’ waiting room - the usual ticket in the dividing wall.

About twenty feet north of the platform stood a small frame structure, fifteen feet wide by thirty or thirty-five feet long. This was parallel to the main track as was the depot. A restaurant was located therein, and the rest of the place was used for the storing of baggage. There were three tracks east of the Depot, the main track being the one in the middle. The first track , a siding, was next to the platform, just as sidings are now located on the W. & A. This indicates that the W. & A. cared as little for passenger’s convenience then as they do now. A space of six feet intervened between the first siding and the main, and a space of twelve feet was between the main track and the other siding. The gauge was five feet, that being the standard at this time. west of the platform were two sidings, used in the transfer of freight cars to and from the two railroads: one switch was next to the platform, and the other, six feet west. Lying between the two buildings was a boardwalk - four feet in width, that ran from one siding to another. Over this walk ran the four wheeled baggage truck - such as Express Companies have now - which was used in the transferring of luggage. Two hundred and fifty or three hundred yards north of the Depot, a siding left the main track - No. 8 in the diagram - and divided again into two sidings that lie west of the Depot. A little farther north, the upper curve of the Rome “Y” struck the main track. An open plot of ground lay to the northwest. Some distance south of the Depot, the main track curved sharply to the eastward. The Rome Railroad operated a short line between Rome and Kingston. It was owned by a private company- the Georgia R.R. owning some stock in it. On the 12th day of April 1862, Engineer Harbin left Rome, Georgia, about 8:00 a.m., and arrived in Kingston between 9:00 and 9:30. Running out at the north of the “Y”. This left his train headed north, and in order to make the start back to Rome, it was necessary to back out into the southern arm of the “Y” and change the switch. Harbin’s train consisted of the “William R. Smith” a Norris locomotive, a tender, one baggage car and one passenger car. Cicero Smith was conductor, William G. Kernodle was fireman, and Joe Lassiter- a free Negro - was brakeman and baggageman.

While Harbin was waiting for Fuller’s train with it’s passengers, baggage and mail, and the freight cars of the down trains (refers to those south-bound freights that held up Andrews) , he walked over to the depot, and was standing on the platform just outside the Agent’s door when Fuller’s engine, “The General”, and three box cars pulled in on the main track, from the south. It was close on to Fuller’s schedule, and the lack of passenger coaches and regular crew naturally attracted some attention. The train stopped a little above the Depot (6 in diagram), and Andrews leaving the engine, walked over toward the station. Accosting Harbin standing on the platform he asked him if he had a switch key, as he wished to take a siding. Harbin told him he had none, but that one could be secured from the Agent. The Kingston Agent was Mr. Uriah Stephens (buried in city cemetery, Cartersville per statement of Lucy Cunyus on July 21, 1932).

Andrews stepped in and got the bunch of keys - and Harbin stated he next saw them when they were picked up on the General’s “ foot-board, after the engine had been abandoned. Andrews mounted his engine and pulled up to the siding marked 8 in the diagram, backed down on it, and there waited. Both trains were now practically on the same track, as per diagram, and headed north. Pittenger states that the engineer of the Rome train stepped over to the Andrews train and asked with an oath what all this might mean. Harbin said that if he did do the, he does not remember it now: he was satisfied with what explanations Andrews vouchsafed, and gave him and his train very little notice. He does not remember clearly about the freight train or trains that pulled in while Andrews was waiting. There was one- with the “New York” pulling it- but there is nothing clearly remembered about any others. The “New York” , with it’s 12 or 15 freight cars stopped on the east siding, a little above the lower switches. The most he remembers about the “New York” is that it was on this siding at sometime during Andrews’ stop on the upper switch, and that it’s engineer, with others , were doing some repair work upon it. Furthermore, Mr. Harbin remembers nothing about any altercations between Andrews and a yard switchman, as related by Pittinger and others. He writes that Kingston had no yard switchman, and if there was dispute with anyone that day, he knew nothing of it. Also, that he heard no news of Mitchel’s investment of Huntsville, during the day of which we write.

It was militia muster day at Kingston as it was at Ringgold. A badly organized bunch of raw recruits were over on the vacant plot of ground northwest of the Depot, busily engaged in mastering the tactics. If the Andrews train attracted their attention, Harbin was not aware of it. The Rome engineer declares that Andrews was there not longer than thirty minutes, and that Fuller’s party did not arrive at Kingston until nearly three quarters of an hour after Andrews had left. This time element in the story simply cannot be reconciled to the various accounts: stop-watches were not used by close, calculating eyewitnesses, and two men’s recollections of any event are never the same. Harbin was oiling his engine when Fuller and Cain came up. The two were well known to him. They informed him that their train had been stolen at Big Shanty, by whom, they did not know, and they had pursued, first afoot, then on a pole-car, and finally on the “Yonah”, which had been secured at Etowah and abandoned on the curve just south of the Kingston Depot. Harbin was at once asked to take his engine and run out in pursuit of the captured train. He complied immediately, and cutting off the passenger car- leaving only the baggage coach coupled to the tender, he was ready for the chase. Meanwhile, the Militia had been attracted by the confusion around Harbin’s engine, for the breathless haste of the pursuers and their story had aroused all within earshot.

Duncan Meerkenson (the correct spelling is probably Murchison), veteran of Indian Wars and volunteer drillmaster of the Militia, became greatly enthused over the prospects of a railroad chase with some fighting included. (Mr. Harbin paused here in his narrative to laugh about an amusing incident that the name of this man called to mind. Duncan Merkenson was not one of the militia, but was present with other onlookers. the bungling manner in which the raw countrymen were doing evolutions outraged all of his veteran instincts, and he straightway volunteered to “show them” how it was done. Taking up an old flint-lock from some place, he proceeded to demonstrate to his own satisfaction, just how a gun should be handled. The locomotive pursuers came along at this time, as related, and Merkenson with his followers boarded the train. When the Rome engine pulled up at the scene where the raiders had taken to the woods, all alighted and set about scouring the brush. Merkenson suddenly bethought him of his unloaded gun, and eagerly plied his excited companions for powder and ball. Getting what he sought, the nervous old gentleman rammed home the charge, which contained a super-abundance of buck shot, and then looked to the priming of his piece, -but he discovered, much to his chagrin and greatly to the diversion of the hilarious Militia-men, that there was not lock on the gun!) He saw to it at once that he was not left out, and with boisterous appeal to the valor of the crowd, and his own ostentatious example, he so fired the adventurous rabble of raw soldiery that thirty or forty armed men were in the baggage car by the time Harbin was ready to start. This mob was a rather unstable contingency in the pursuit, as they had been interviewing sundry jugs of corn juice for the greater part of the morning. So out into the main right-of-way swung the “William R. Smith” , Harbin at the throttle, Kernodle at the fire box, and the Negro brakeman, Lassiter, close at hand for such services as he might render. Back in the car the shouting soldiers made merry- greatly to the diversion of themselves, and much to the disgust of Murphy who wished that his scheme for using the “New York” had been carried out. Cain and Murphy were in the cab with Harbin, while Fuller had stationed himself on the running board of the “Smith”, immediately above the steam chest on the fireman’s side. The train was going at a lively rate of speed when nearly two miles out a pile of cross-ties was seen on the track. This being on a curve, there was no time to slow up, and the iron pilot of the “Smith” cut it’s way through the ties, throwing them right and left: one sailed aloft nearly as high as the headlight. One half or three quarters of a mile farther on another pile of ties appeared. Harbin slowed down and brushed them aside with the pilot.

Three miles ahead, on a curve, it was found that two rails had been removed- both on the east side of the track. The train was brought to a dead stop ten or twelve feet from the gap. Fuller and Murphy at once ran on. They expected to meet the “Texas” with it’s freight train, which was about due, and with this engine could continue the chase. Cain remained with the crowd. The soldiery in the baggage car were at once greatly alarmed lest their prospects for a running fight had been frustrated. The missing rails had been carried away by the Raiders. Harbin pulled up as close to the gap as he could. Then a couple of rails were removed from behind the train and placed in the gap. Since all the spikes had not been removed when the rails were lifted, those that remained steadied somewhat the two that bridged the gap. Over this improvised piece of tracking crawled the “Smith”, it’s tender, and the baggage car. It required fifteen or twenty minutes to accomplish this and when all was ready, those that had remained scrambled aboard. Harbin say whether or not Cain went any farther north. Meanwhile, Fuller and Murphy had stopped the “Texas”, the down freight that had just left Adairsville, and had run it back to the later place, shunted it’s cars on a siding, and then pulled out for the north at a great rate of speed. The “Texas”, of course, running backwards. Harbin was a quarter of a mile behind, when he caught sight of the “Texas” leaving Adairsville. He does not remember seeing the “Calhoun Passenger train”, between him and the “Texas”, during the run north of Calhoun, but he knows that Renard and his engine - of the “Calhoun Passenger train’ were at Ringgold that afternoon. The “General” was abandoned by Andrews and his men on a grade north of Ringgold. It had just passed the brow of the grade, and what steam remained was not sufficient to send it backwards up the gentle rise. One freight car was still coupled to it, and the oil cans were in the firebox. Wood and water had given out. Immediately to the west was an open field, and beginning at it’s northern border there extended a timber tract north and northwest to White Oak Ridge. All ground to the east was wooded.

Harbin pulled up as close to the abandoned “General” as he could get, and the Kingston crowd took to the brush. They had one mishap- one careless citizen’s gun was accidentally discharged and some poor fellow’s leg received a quantity of buck shot. The Rome engineer stayed with his engine: was there about an hour. Harbin and Renard went back to Ringgold about the middle of the afternoon, followed later on by Bracken with his engine, the “Texas”, pulling the “General”. (When the “General” was examined by the pursuers, it was found that a brass on the left side of the engine truck had become heated. This was oiled, and Bracken pushed on to Graysville for wood and water. It was late afternoon when he returned to Ringgold, where the “General” was side-tracked and it remained there until the following Tuesday when Murphy sent Daniel Flock to put in a new brass. The “Texas” went on to the southward, but Henry Haney stated to Mr. Murphy that they went no further that night than Dalton, Murphy’s narrative.) Harbin and Renard stopped awhile at Ringgold, then ran on to Dalton where there was a turntable. Here Harbin headed his engine the right way. Renard was ahead when the two left Dalton, and before leaving, he wagered a bottle of brandy with Harbin, that the latter would never see him after they started. Harbin agreed, and that night run of the “William R. Smith” is still a thrilling memory to the veteran engineer who held the throttle. Every time Renard blew for a station or crossing, Harbin answered him close behind. It was so at Tilton. Resaca, Calhoun, where Renard stopped to get his train, and at Summit (one mile north of Hall’s), the highest point between Kingston and Adairsville. Renard stopped on the main track at Kingston, near the Depot. It was a rather long stop as express and baggage had to be looked after. This gave Harbin time to run in on the “Y” and back down to the Depot, to the point from which he started on this adventurous run. Securing the rest of his train, he went on to Rome, arriving there about 11:00 PM. Several days later Renard, on one of his runs, brought up and delivered to Harbin a bottle of brandy. Note: Cicero Smith, the conductor of the Rome train did not accompany this pursuing expedition. He was Express Agent as well as Conductor, and his work kept him at Kingston. In the Atlanta Southern Confederacy for April 22 and April 19, 1862, there are articles from Kingston and Rome correspondents, commending at length the services of Cicero Smith and Harbin. The writers had reason to think that in the affair of the railroad chase these men were not given the proper credit- Smith, especially. The correspondent’s enthusiasm outran their information, as it usually does.

ARGUMENT Judging from the way in which this link in the chain of the pursuit has been treated by the various writers on the subject, it would seem that Harbin’s part in the affair did not count for much. Pittinger and Gregg whose researches are more extended than any other writers do not even mention his name. This may be accounted for partially when it is known that Mr. Harbin is a very unassuming man, and on this subject has maintained for years a willful reticence. This, he explained, was because he thought any assertion of his services in the chase might stir up some small jealousies among the railroad men. However, Mr. Fuller and Mr. Murphy never failed to give proper credit to the work of the Rome Road locomotive, and it’s gallant engineer. Some years ago, Mr. Fuller wishing to get a better knowledge of Harbin’s services and other details connected with the affair at Kingston, wrote a letter of inquiry concerning him to Mr. James A. Smith, Agent at Rome. The letter was forwarded to Mr. Harbin, but was not answered, for reasons given. Mr. Murphy’s scheme for continuing the pursuit from Kingston, was to take the “New York”. a magnificent machine that was standing with it’s freight on the track below the depot, and after coupling to the car of tools brought up by the “Yonah”, move around to the north end of the yards by way of the “Y”. But the Rome train blocked the way of this move, and the use of the “Smith” seemed the most logical thing to the thoroughly excited rabble of countrymen, whose guns and good spirits had placed them in a fighting mood. To Fuller. as well, the Rome engine headed north seemed quite the thing, and Mr. Murphy was forced to abandon his scheme for using the “New York”. He admitted after the race was done, that under the circumstances, owing to the broken track, the “New York” was no better than the Rome engine.

Then the identity of the Rome Road engine has been seriously confused, owing to the lack of published statements from it’s engineer. It has been shown why Mr. Harbin did not have his regular engine. This one correction is not by any means the least of the interesting details furnished in the preceding interview. In addition to this, a correct diagram of the Kingston yards was never secured by Pittenger, the only writer who gave any attention to this particular feature. Mr. Harbin’s rendering of it cannot be gainsaid, and the light it throws upon the various movements that took place there, is no small addition to the narrative. Furthermore, the account of how the broken track was passed by the Rome Road engine, explains the source of a lot of incorrect notions regarding the details of Fuller’s and Murphy’s pursuit. These two gentlemen are credited with doing the thing that Harbin did, but they never at any time claimed that they resorted to this scheme during their chase. It was never necessary for them to do this. As no tracking had been removed between Etowah and Kingston, the “Yonah” had an unobstructed run. When the break north of Kingston was found, they ran on until they met Bracken and the “Texas” and as there was no track destroyed north of Adairsville, the “Texas” made it’s run to the last. So it was the Rome Road contingency and Kingston Soldiery that participated in the event of lifting rails behind and placing them down in front. The time element in the story is yet a disputed point, as well as that of the number of trains that pulled into Kingston while Andrews waited. Mr. Harbin gives his best recollections on this, but all the persons who were present, speaking with unquestionable authority, simply do not agree. Mr. Harbin joins Mr. Murphy and Mr. Fuller in saying that the report of Mitchel’s capture of Huntsville did not reach them on April 12th, while Knight claims that Andrews and himself knew it while waiting at Kingston. While these much disputed points are not of vital importance to the story, a correct and convincing rendering of them would be highly satisfactory.

A LETTER FROM MR. MURPHYAtlanta, Georgia December 12, 1907Mr. W.G. Kurtz, Dear Sir: The “New York” was not on the siding. It was on the main track, adjoining the freight Depot. There was another train behind the “New York”, at present I am not positive about the name of the engine or it’s engineer. Andrews knew those trains (they were called way freights, because they stopped at every station and delivered and took on freight all along the line) were due, and went north of Depot to get on siding, so they would pass and let him out: for that purpose he got the switch-keys from the Agent. There was no repair work done. Generally, engineers got out their wrenches, screwed down a nut if it appeared loose, or tightened up the packing in the stuffing boxes of valve stems or piston rods. These were the repairs that Mr. Harbin remembers. As to the curve southeast from the Depot, there is a slight curve approaching Kingston, but you can see the depot and tracks a quarter or half a mile before reaching the place. The “Yonah” stopped not over a hundred feet from the switch that leads to the rear or northwest of the Depot adjoining the Rome railroad. There was no break-down with the “Yonah”, and little delay in cutting it loose from the coal car and coupling the “New York” to the car with material and tools to repair tracks. I did not go with Cain and Fuller, to see him- Mr. Harbin. I went to work at once on the “New York” our own engine: had no use for the Rome engine, nor the “Yonah”. “New York” was best and larger than either. I knew nothing of Fuller and Cain seeing Harbin. When I was ready I sent one of the “New York’s” train men to tell Fuller to get the Rome engine out of our way. He did not report to me, but shortly after I sent him, I saw the Rome engine (and I thought, two cars, but won’t dispute Harbin) move, but soon discovered they were going on the W. & A. track, which made me run and swear, after the trouble I had been to, getting our “New York” ready. Fuller, or someone for him, wrote he could not get by with the “Yonah”. That was all “bosh”, so many write what they never know. Several years ago, Fuller, in conversation with me on April 12th, admitted in presence of an engineer of that road at that period, that he had forgotten all about the coal-car. The engine was ready; I knew nothing of Fuller and Cain talking about Harbin’s engine, until it moved, as stated above. The engine Renard had, was named “Catoosa”, a Rogers engine similar to the “General”, but a smaller one- say one inch small cylinder. With all due respect to Mr. Harbin, I care little for what he says, as I know what part he performed. It was alright as far as it went. He did his duty, but the use of the Rome engine was not necessary. Yours, truly, Anthony Murphy.!