William Hunter Campbell
Encyclopedia
William Hunter Campbell (September 9, 1839–June 18, 1862) was an Ohio
civilian who worked for the Union Army
during the early years of the American Civil War
. He participated in a daring raid behind enemy lines on the Western and Atlantic Railroad
, known famously known as the Great Locomotive Chase
. The mission failed and Campbell and seven fellow raiders were executed by the Confederates
on the charge of spying.
William Hunter Campbell was born in Fox Township, Carroll County, Ohio
to Samuel and Sarah Hunter Campbell. Howe
says in Historical Collections of Ohio
that his mother was named Jane Morgan, a cousin of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan
.
Campbell was visiting friends with 2nd Ohio Infantry
in Kentucky
in 1862 when he was recruited to participate in a raid to steal a Confederate locomotive and bring it to Federal lines. James J. Andrews
, also a civilian, recruited Campbell and 22 soldiers from three Ohio regiments, the 2nd, 21st
and 33rd Ohio Infantry
. Another participant described Campbell : "He was a man of two hundred twenty pounds, handsome as Apollo, and of immense physical strength, which he was slow to use when roused, though good-natured and clever in the main."
The raiders were to sneak south in civilian clothing and rendezvous in Marietta, Georgia
. All but two made it and boarded a train pulled by the locomotive General
on April 12, 1862. The train traveled north and stopped in Big Shanty, Georgia
for breakfast, and the raiders stole the General and a few cars, intending to tear up track and burn bridges behind them and meet advancing Federal troops. After a chase described in Great Locomotive Chase
, the raiders ran out of fuel near Chattanooga, Tennessee
, and were captured.
As a civilian, Campbell was tried and convicted of being an unlawful combatant. He was hanged with six others June 18, 1862 at the corner of Fair Street (now Memorial Drive) and South Park Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia
. His hanging was described : "Five only remained dangling in the air; for two of the seven, Campbell and Slavens, being very heavy men, broke the ropes, and fell to the ground insensible. In a short time they recovered, and asked for a drink of water, which was given them. Then they requested an hour to pray before entering the future world, which lay so near and dark before them. This last petition was indignantly refused, and as soon as the ropes could be adjusted, they were compelled to re-ascend the scaffold, and were again turned off!" Campbell was buried nearby, and his remains were removed April 25, 1866 to Chattanooga National Cemetery
, near the Ohio Memorial, (Section G, grave No. 11,180).
Secretary of War
Edwin M. Stanton
awarded the first Medals of Honor
to several of the raiders. As a civilian, Campbell was not eligible.
Jeff York
played Campbell in the Disney movie The Great Locomotive Chase.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
civilian who worked for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the early years of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He participated in a daring raid behind enemy lines on the Western and Atlantic Railroad
Western and Atlantic Railroad
The Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia' is a historic railroad that operated in the southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee....
, known famously known as the Great Locomotive Chase
Great Locomotive Chase
The Great Locomotive Chase or Andrews' Raid was a military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian scout James J...
. The mission failed and Campbell and seven fellow raiders were executed by the Confederates
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
on the charge of spying.
William Hunter Campbell was born in Fox Township, Carroll County, Ohio
Fox Township, Carroll County, Ohio
Fox Township is one of the fourteen townships of Carroll County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,075 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the eastern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
to Samuel and Sarah Hunter Campbell. Howe
Henry Howe
Henry Howe was an author who wrote histories of several states in the United States. His most celebrated work is the three volume Historical Collections of Ohio....
says in Historical Collections of Ohio
Historical Collections of Ohio
thumb |right |300pxHistorical Collections of Ohio is a work of history published in one volume in 1847 by Henry Howe . Howe had spent more than a year traveling across the state of Ohio making sketches, interviewing people, and collecting data...
that his mother was named Jane Morgan, a cousin of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...
.
Campbell was visiting friends with 2nd Ohio Infantry
2nd Ohio Infantry
The 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Three-months regiment:...
in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in 1862 when he was recruited to participate in a raid to steal a Confederate locomotive and bring it to Federal lines. James J. Andrews
James J. Andrews
James J. Andrews was a Kentucky civilian who worked for the Union Army during the early years of the American Civil War. He led a daring raid behind enemy lines on the Western and Atlantic Railroad, known famously known as the Great Locomotive Chase...
, also a civilian, recruited Campbell and 22 soldiers from three Ohio regiments, the 2nd, 21st
21st Ohio Infantry
The 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Mostly an all-volunteer unit, with the exception of a few draftees, the 21st Ohio served for both ninety-day and three-year enlistments and fought exclusively in the Western Theater...
and 33rd Ohio Infantry
33rd Ohio Infantry
The 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 33rd Ohio Infantry was organized at Portsmouth, Ohio from August 5 through September 13, 1861. It was mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel Joshua...
. Another participant described Campbell : "He was a man of two hundred twenty pounds, handsome as Apollo, and of immense physical strength, which he was slow to use when roused, though good-natured and clever in the main."
The raiders were to sneak south in civilian clothing and rendezvous in Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
. All but two made it and boarded a train pulled by the locomotive General
The General (locomotive)
The General is a type 4-4-0 steam locomotive that was the subject of the Great Locomotive Chase of the American Civil War. The locomotive is preserved at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-...
on April 12, 1862. The train traveled north and stopped in Big Shanty, Georgia
Kennesaw, Georgia
Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It had a population of 29,783 according to the 2010 census. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Founded in 1887, Kennesaw has a past surrounded with railroad history...
for breakfast, and the raiders stole the General and a few cars, intending to tear up track and burn bridges behind them and meet advancing Federal troops. After a chase described in Great Locomotive Chase
Great Locomotive Chase
The Great Locomotive Chase or Andrews' Raid was a military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian scout James J...
, the raiders ran out of fuel near Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
, and were captured.
As a civilian, Campbell was tried and convicted of being an unlawful combatant. He was hanged with six others June 18, 1862 at the corner of Fair Street (now Memorial Drive) and South Park Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. His hanging was described : "Five only remained dangling in the air; for two of the seven, Campbell and Slavens, being very heavy men, broke the ropes, and fell to the ground insensible. In a short time they recovered, and asked for a drink of water, which was given them. Then they requested an hour to pray before entering the future world, which lay so near and dark before them. This last petition was indignantly refused, and as soon as the ropes could be adjusted, they were compelled to re-ascend the scaffold, and were again turned off!" Campbell was buried nearby, and his remains were removed April 25, 1866 to Chattanooga National Cemetery
Chattanooga National Cemetery
Chattanooga National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located near the center of the city of Chattanooga in Hamilton County, Tennessee...
, near the Ohio Memorial, (Section G, grave No. 11,180).
Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin McMasters Stanton was an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during the American Civil War from 1862–1865...
awarded the first Medals of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
to several of the raiders. As a civilian, Campbell was not eligible.
Jeff York
Jeff York
Jeff York was an American film and television actor who began his career in the late 1930s using his given name Granville Owen Schofield...
played Campbell in the Disney movie The Great Locomotive Chase.