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Accident – Death – Obituary News :
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President Joe Biden is set to honour two Union soldiers with the Medal of Honor for their outstanding bravery during the American Civil War. U.S. Army Pvts. Philip G. Shadrach and George D. Wilson displayed exceptional courage by hijacking a locomotive deep in Confederate territory and driving it north for 87 miles, destroying railroad tracks and telegraph lines in their wake.
Despite being captured and subsequently executed by Confederates, Biden is posthumously recognising their heroic actions 162 years later with the highest military decoration awarded by the United States.
The legacy of the Civil War, which resulted in the deaths of over 600,000 service members from both sides between 1861 and 1865, continues to have a significant impact on U.S. politics. The contentious election year has brought issues of race, constitutional rights, and presidential power to the forefront.
Biden, a member of the Democratic party, has likened the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump to the greatest threat to democracy since the Civil War. Meanwhile, Trump, the likely Republican nominee, recently referenced the Battle of Gettysburg and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee at a rally in Pennsylvania.
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Shadrach and Wilson’s bravery is being recognised for their involvement in the famous “Great Locomotive Chase.” The daring mission was spearheaded by Kentucky-born civilian spy and scout, James J. Andrews, who recruited volunteers to disrupt Confederate operations in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
On April 12, 1862, the group, known as “Andrews’ Raiders,” commandeered a train called “The General” in Marietta, Georgia. They sabotaged tracks and communication lines as they headed north, with Confederate troops in pursuit. Despite being captured, Andrews and seven others were executed, while the rest either escaped or became prisoners of war.
Private Jacob Parrott, who was part of the locomotive hijacking and endured mistreatment while in Confederate custody, was awarded the first-ever Medal of Honor for his actions. Subsequently, 18 other participants were also honoured, although Shadrach and Wilson were initially overlooked. Their eligibility for the medal was later authorised under the fiscal 2008 National Defense Authorization Act.
Born in Pennsylvania on September 15, 1840, Shadrach was a mere 21 years old when he volunteered for the mission. Orphaned at a young age, he enlisted in an Ohio infantry regiment in 1861 after the outbreak of the Civil War.
Wilson, born in 1830 in Belmont County, Ohio, worked as a journeyman shoemaker before enlisting in an Ohio-based volunteer infantry in 1861.
The remarkable story of the Great Locomotive Chase has been immortalised in film, with a 1956 movie titled “The Great Locomotive Chase” starring Fess Parker and Jeffrey Hunter, as well as the 1926 silent film “The General” featuring Buster Keaton, both recounting the historic event.
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Biden Medal of Honor Civil War heroes hijack train confederacy
Biden honor Civil War heroes hijack train confederacy.
