Biden to bestow Medal of Honor on two Civil War heroes who helped hijack a train in confederacy
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President Joe Biden will award the Medal of Honor on Wednesday for “conspicuous gallantry” to a pair of Union soldiers who stole a locomotive deep in Confederate territory during the American Civil War and drove it north for 87 miles as they destroyed railroad tracks and telegraph lines. The posthumous recognition comes as the legacy of the Civil War, which killed more than 600,000 service members — both Union and Confederate — between 1861 and 1865, continues to shape U.S. politics in a contentious election year in which issues of race, constitutional rights and presidential power are at the forefront. Shadrach and Wilson are being recognized for participating in what became known as “the Great Locomotive Chase.” A Kentucky-born civilian spy and scout named James J. Andrews put together a group of volunteers, including Shadrach and Wilson, to degrade the railway and telegraph lines used by Confederates in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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Medal of Honor: Two Union soldiers posthumously receive awards for carrying out daring mission behind Confederate lines
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