Autor: William Pittenger

William Pittenger (1840–1904) was an American soldier, clergyman, and author, best known for his involvement in the Great Locomotive Chase during the American Civil War and his subsequent book, “Capturing a Locomotive” (1881), detailing that famous event. Pittenger was one of the Andrews Raiders, a group of Union Army volunteers who executed a daring plan to steal a Confederate train and disrupt the railways. For his valor, he was among the first recipients of the Medal of Honor. His account of the raid provides a blend of historical fact and personal narrative, acting as a window into Civil War espionage and the personal trials of war. Pittenger”s literary style includes meticulous recollections of his and his comrades” exploits, filled with suspense and rich in historical detail, which he intertwines with the broader implications of the Union”s war effort. Following the war, Pittenger became an ordained minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church and continued to lecture and write about his wartime experiences, as well as producing religious texts. His writings, particularly “Capturing a Locomotive”, remain significant as one of the first-hand accounts of one of the most audacious operations of the Civil War, offering readers insight not only into the event itself but also into the character and resilience of those involved.