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From the WSJ: The Great Train Robbery By J. TRACY POWER November 10, 2006; Page W4 "As the civil war entered its second year in 1862, it was still possible to imagine that the war would be short and relatively bloodless. But nothing that the Union or the Confederacy had accomplished during the previous year had resulted in a decisive advantage, and so soldiers and civilians on both sides began proposing imaginative schemes aimed at ending the war in a single brilliant stroke. "Russell S. Bonds's masterly "Stealing the General" captures those early days by recounting one such scheme: a Union plot to steal a railroad locomotive deep in the South and race north, leaving destruction in its wake. The theft of the engine called the General -- together with the frantic chase that ensued -- is one of the most fascinating stories of the Civil War. Mr. Bonds's compelling narrative and convincing analysis give the episode its due at last. "The dramatic expansion of railroads in the 30 years before the war had transformed the landscape of mid-19th century America, and railroads would play a major role in the war. The Confederacy had relatively few miles of track and a limited supply of engines and rolling stock, so protecting this equipment was critical to the Southern military effort -- and presented an inviting target to the Union." <A href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116313149725619588-search.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116313149725619588-search.html</A> Dave
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