The Civil War Centennial period (1961-65) bore witness to countless commemorative pieces marking the 100th Anniversary of the "War Between the States." I'm not a dedicated collector of this area, but I have picked up a few medals over the years that piqued my interest. Presented here is one from 1962 that commemorates the centennial of Andrews' Raid (1862) in northern Georgia - I found its subject to be an interesting historical footnote.
Andrews Raid was an attempt to damage/destroy the valuable Confederate rail link / supply line between Atlanta, Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The rail line was part of the Western and Atlantic Railroad Company that was owned by the State of Georgia.
On April 12, 1862, James J. Andrews, a civilian spy, led a team of disguised Union soldiers on a daring raid in north Georgia. The objectives were to steal a locomotive, head north and damage/destroy the rail line and telegraph lines to hinder the resupply of Confederate troops in Chattanooga.
The operation succeeded in stealing a locomotive - the
General - along with a a tender (carrying fuel (wood) for the steam locomotive) and three empty boxcars. The group was pursued almost immediately, William Allen Fuller, a Western and Atlantic Railroad Company conductor, was a key pursuit team leader. Fuller's relentless efforts in tracking down Andrews led to the capture of the
General and the prevention of the Union team from reaching Tennessee and completing its mission. It did, however, cause minor damage to the rail lines it used and to telegraph connections along the way.
Note: To be fair, Andrews was captured after the General ran out of steam due to not being able to completely refill its water and wood supply after a failed bridge burning attempt - Fuller was too close behind for Andrews to take the time needed to take on full resupply loads.)The medal was sponsored by the Georgia Civil War Centennial Commission (Atlanta, GA). Its obverse presents a portrait of Captain William Fuller (After his efforts to circumvent "Andrews' Raid," Fuller was given a temporary position of "Captain" in the Independent State Road Guards within the Western and Atlantic Railroad with the objective of training employees to prevent similar thefts ). The medal's reverse features the
General.
The medal's designs are the work of artist-sculptor Julian Hoke Harris (b. 1906; d. 1987); Harris held a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from Georgia Polytechnic University and created works for dozens of public building. He also designed/sculpted 20+ medals including the Georgia Bicentennial medal and Jimmy Carter Inaugural medal. In addition to his various commissions, Harris taught at Georgia Tech's School of Architecture for 36 years.
1962 Andrews' Raid Centennial Medal
The 1-3/4" medal was available in bronze and 0.999 fine silver for $3.00 and $12.00, respectively. The Georgia Civil War Centennial Commission received and processed orders out of its office at the State Capitol in Atlanta. Mintage of the bronze version was unlimited (i.e., to meet demand), while the silver medal was limited to 5,000 examples; the silver medals include a serial number on their edge.
For more of my stories about commemorative coins and medals, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 08/31/2024 07:59 am
