, had part in wild race during Civil war.
His exploit one of famous incidents of conflict between States.
Anthony Murphy, aged eighty years, a pioneer citizen of the
South and one of the two men who pursued and captured the famous engine, ‘General,’ when the latter had been seized and carried off from
Marietta, Ga., by Federal raiders during the
Civil War, died here to-day.
Murphy was born in
Ireland, and came to this country when twenty-six years old. He became one of the constructors of the Western and Atlantic Railroad, but when the war broke out entered the
Confederate service, and, owing to his skill in mechanics, was assigned by
Governor Brown, father of the present Governor, to assemble men to make guns.
On April 12, 1862, the
Federal secret service arranged to seize a train at
Marietta, cut off the engine, run it from
Big Shanty, Ga., to
Chattanooga, Tenn., burning bridges and cutting wires between the two places, and thus cutting the
Confederate line of communications.
The plan was carried out almost successfully.
The Federal officers boarded the train at
Marietta, and while the passengers and crew were at breakfast at Big Shanty, seven miles north of
Marietta, cut off the engine and started on a mad race of destruction.
The action of the Federal party, who posed as Southern refugees anxious to join the Confederate army, aroused the suspicion of
Mr. Murphy, who was then foreman of the
Western