"The W&A, the 'General', and the Andrews Raid: A Brief
History" published
Kennesaw Historical Society President Robert C. Jones has
published a new book entitled "The W&A, the 'General', and the Andrews Raid: A
Brief History". It is available on Amazon in two editions - one
with all black and white photos, and one with 36 color photos. To order
from Amazon:
"The ambitiously named Western and Atlantic Railroad ceased to exist in 1890,
and at its peak commanded a main line only 137-miles long. Yet today, it is
still one of the most easily recognizable names in the history of American
railroading. Why? The W&A played an important role in two of the most famous
incidents in the Civil War, including the Andrews Raid (a.k.a. Great Locomotive
Chase) in 1862, and Sherman's Atlanta Campaign (1864), where it served as the
Union supply line. This book will examine the brief but significant life of this
famous railroad, as well as the history of its most famous locomotive - the
"General". The book also contains a step-by-step "Retracing the Route of the
Andrews Raid" section, which describes thirteen sites associated with the Raid
that have extant remains.
The "General" is the most revered and famous locomotive in the world. It was
the star of the Civil War Andrews Raid. It was the subject of at least three
movies, including "Railroad Raiders of '62", "The General", starring Buster
Keaton, and "The Great Locomotive Chase" starring Fess Parker. It has been the
subject of countless books and articles.
The later history of the General is almost as exciting as the Chase itself.
In April 1962, the General retraced its route from the Great Locomotive Chase
under its own power. From 1967-1970, the General was the center of a complicated
legal battle between Chattanooga, Tennessee (on one side) and the L&N Railroad
and the State of Georgia (on the other side). Part of this battle included the
blockading of the main line of the old W&A railroad just south of Chattanooga,
TN. The legal battle went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to be resolved."
"Retracing the Route of Sherman's
Atlanta Campaign and the March to the Sea" published
Kennesaw Historical Society President Robert C. Jones has
published a new book entitled "Retracing the Route of Sherman's Atlanta Campaign
and the March to the Sea". It is available on Amazon in two editions - one
with all black and white photos, and one with 75 color photos. To order
from Amazon:
From the back cover: "Love him or hate him, the actions of
William Tecumseh Sherman in Georgia in 1864 transformed the Civil War in the
space of seven months. From a conflict which was still very much in doubt as to
its victor in early 1864, by the time Sherman had captured Atlanta, marched to
the Sea, and captured Savannah, the will to fight had largely left the South,
and the outcome of the War had become a foregone conclusion. This book tells the
story of both Sherman's Atlanta Campaign and his March to the Sea, through the
mechanism of looking at what remains today (monuments, buildings, trenches,
etc.) at sites associated with those events."
"Death Valley Ghost Towns As They Appear
Today" published
Kennesaw Historical Society President Robert C. Jones has published a new book
entitled "Death Valley Ghost Towns As They Appear Today". It is available
in two editions - one with a black and white interior, and one with 100+ color
photos.
"Death Valley has a fascinating mining history. Miners first
passed through here in 1849 during the California gold rush, not realizing
that there were vast deposits of gold and borax just waiting to be taken out
of the mountains and Valley floor. By the late 19th century though, large
scale gold and borax mining operations were in full swing. In the 20th
century, talc mining would join borax as the two most important minerals
mined in the Death Valley area.
The most common extant ruins in Death Valley include mill
ruins, metal or stone mine buildings, mine openings, and metal water towers.
There are few mercantile or residential structures remaining (Rhyolite and
Aguereberry Camp being two exceptions).
The ghost towns and mining camps within and near Death
Valley are probably in better shape than most because of the preservative
affect of the extremely dry climate, and the protection offered by Death
Valley being a National Park (and, earlier, a National Monument). The
best-preserved towns are post-1950s company mining camps (Ibex Springs,
Broken Pick, Warm Springs, Keystone Mine, etc.)
The vast majority of the photos in this book were taken in
the 21st century. Thus, this book focuses primarily on what there is to see
in the Death Valley ghost towns today, with a bit of the history of the
sites included along the way."
It is no exaggeration to say that, in its heyday, the Pennsylvania Railroad
was the greatest railroad in the world. It was certainly the largest
(track-wise), hauled the most freight and passengers, had the most employees,
and the largest earnings. At its peak, the PRR had 23,000+ miles of track (a
figure since eclipsed by modern Class I railroads). In 1929, the PRR owned 7,000
locomotives and 282,000 cars - many built at their railroad shops in Altoona.
The PRR boasted the largest railroad shops in the world (the aforementioned
Altoona), and the largest railroad yard in the world (Enola). This illustrated
timeline will attempt to provide a brief history of this great railroad, and
also speculate on 1) why the PRR was so successful and 2) why the PRR died in
such an ignominious way in the late-1960s/early-1970s. This edition has 55
photos, with 34 of them in color.
Mojave National Preserve was established in 1994 through the California Desert
Protection Act. Its 1.6 million acres makes it the third largest entity in the
National Park system (contiguous States). Among its most popular sites are the
Cima Dome, Mitchell Caverns, the Kelso Dunes, the Mojave Road and the Kelso
Depot.
There are hundreds of abandoned mines within the Preserve, and scores of
abandoned mining camps and towns. This book will look at many of the major ones
as they appear today - all of the photos in this book have been taken in the
21st century.
Included in the book are detailed directions on how to get to the sites, as well
as a personal rating system of how worthwhile the remains at each sight are to
see.
Contains 93 photos taken by the author. In the "Color edition", all photos are
in color.
The author has been performing Civil War songs in the Atlanta/North Georgia area
for almost 20 years. In that time, the fifteen songs in this book have emerged
as the most popular. The background of each song is discussed, and the
words/guitar chords are included. Songs include "Aura Lee", "Battle Hymn of the
Republic", "Battle Cry of Freedom", "Bonnie Blue Flag", "Dixie", "Goober Peas",
"Hold the Fort", "Home Sweet Home", "Johnny is Gone for a Soldier", "Marching
Through Georgia", "Maryland, My Maryland", "Oh Susanna", "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!",
When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Yellow Rose of Texas".
There are 30 photos in this book, with 11 of them in color.
With the Civil War Sesquicentennial upon us, interest in the
Civil War is rising. This book looks at moments and decisions in the Civil
War which either radically changed the course of the War, or had the
possibility of radically changing the course of the War. The topics include
"Reinforcements at Shiloh", "Chancellorsville: Victory against overwhelming
odds", "Emancipation Proclamation", "Breakthrough at Petersburg", "Failure
to pursue Lee’s army at Antietam", "20th Maine at Little Roundtop", "Rock of
Chickamauga", "Assassination of Lincoln", "Death of Jackson", "Glorieta
Pass", "Lee takes command", "Sherman’s March to the Sea", "Grant takes
command", "Fall of Vicksburg" and "Pickett’s Charge". The book contains 43
photos, with 28 of them in color.
Nevada provides especially fertile grounds for studying
ghost towns, as the hot desert air has preserved even many 100-year old
wooden buildings, and many of the ghosts in Nevada remain in isolated
solitude. This book concentrates on 37 ghost towns and historic towns in the
western part of Nevada, from sites near Death Valley in the south to sites
in Pershing County to the north. It includes 100 photos, with 80 in color.
Also included is a personal rating system for ghost towns, rating remains,
accessibility, and the ability to explore the sight.
Love him or hate him, the actions of William Tecumseh Sherman in Georgia in 1864
transformed the Civil War in the space of seven months. From a conflict which
was still very much in doubt as to its victor in early 1864, by the time Sherman
had captured Atlanta, marched to the Sea, and captured Savannah, the will to
fight had largely left the South, and the outcome of the War had become a
foregone conclusion. This book tells the story of what is sometimes described as
the only infantry battle on Sherman's March – the Battle of Griswoldville. It is
the tale of an inexperienced Georgia Militia general ordering an attack across
an open, boggy field against an entrenched brigade of Sherman's troops. It is
the tale of the bravery of the young boys and old men on that charge, some who
had been pressed into emergency service just before the battle. It is the tale
of the horror of the Union troops when they examined the dead and wounded, and
discovered that many were 15 or younger, and what today we would describe as
“senior citizens”. It is the tale of a small manufacturing city that was fought
over for three days, changing hands several times.
The experience of prisoners of war during the Civil War on both sides was pretty
dismal. At the beginning of the War, neither side was even remotely prepared for
the onslaught of prisoners they'd have to deal with. Prisoner exchanges occurred
only sporadically throughout the War, so prison camps became an important fact
of life during the Civil War. Andersonville Prison in Georgia probably had the
worst conditions, and definitely had the highest death rate of the War. However,
Northern prisons at places like Elmira, New York and Point Lookout, Maryland
were rife with disease and known for poor care of prisoners. To be a prisoner
during the Civil War was a brutal, dehumanizing experience. This book will
examine 1) the life of the prisoner during the War, 2) the rise and fall of
prisoner exchanges, 3) significant prison camps and 4) prison escape attempts.
The book includes 28 illustrations, with 12 of them in color.
In the first two years of the War, the Union had the better generals in the
west, and the Confederacy had better generals in the east. Once Grant became
commander of the Union army, and Sherman was elevated to command of the west,
the quality of generalship was essentially even between the two sides. At that
point, the Northern advantages in manufacturing, manpower, transportation, and
naval power became insurmountable for the South, even with people like Lee and
Forrest as their generals. Among the best: Patrick Cleburne, J.E.B. Stuart,
Nathan Bedford Forrest, Thomas “Stonewall” JacksonJames Longstreet, Robert E.
Lee, Admiral David Dixon Porter, David G. Farragut, Philip Sheridan, George
Henry Thomas, Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman Among the worst:
General Pleasant Jackson Philips, Gideon Pillow, Braxton Bragg, Henry Sibley,
John Bell Hood, Ben Butler, William Rosecrans, Irvin McDowell, Ambrose Burnside,
George McClellan The book has 45 photos/drawings, with 26 in color.
The Battle of Allatoona Pass has received scant attention in most histories of
the Civil War. This is probably because it occurred after Sherman had taken
Atlanta, but before Sherman’s March to the Sea. Thus, it often escapes being
noted in histories of either campaign. The battle was significant, though. Some
of the fiercest fighting of the whole War occurred there, with combined casualty
figures over 30% (North: 706; South: 873). The battle broke the back of John
Bell Hood’s plan to significantly disrupt Sherman’s supply line from Atlanta to
the north, and allowed Sherman to plan his march to Savannah with his Western &
Atlantic supply line intact. This book contains 31 photos and drawings, with 13
of them in color.
Today, most people think of the board game Monopoly when the Reading1 Railroad
is mentioned (“Take a Ride on the Reading”). But there is much more to the
history of the Reading than the fact that it's mentioned in a game. The history
of the Reading is also the history of the anthracite coal regions in
Pennsylvania. Anthracite was the most important industrial and home heating fuel
of the 19th and early 20th century. It was the fuel that the industrial
revolution ran on. The history of the Reading Railroad is the history of the
rise – and bloody suppression of – the Molly Maguires. It is the history of
bloody (and seemingly endless) confrontation between organized labor and the
coal operators in the anthracite regions. It is the history of a railroad that
had its own 3,000-member police force, and that could call out the state's
militia under its own authority. It is the history of the Reading Railroad
Massacre. This book gives a brief history of the Reading Company, using the
mechanism of an illustrated timeline. It contains 38 illustrations, 18 of which
are in color. It is the second in a series of books, the first being on the
Pennsylvania Railroad. Hopefully, the series will expand in the future.
The Battle of Chickamauga was the greatest battle ever fought on Georgia soil.
It was one of the greatest battles of the Civil War. It could have been a
tremendous victory for the Confederacy, if not for the actions of a Union Corps
Commander named George Thomas. It might have been a victory for the North, if
the northern commander hadn't made a critical error in judgment on the second
day of the battle, which led to a devastating attack on the Union center, and
led to the Union commander running away from the field of battle. Chickamauga
doesn't get the same amount of notice in modern times as the battles fought
between Grant and Lee, but it was the most devastating two day battle ever
fought on American soil. This book provides a brief overview of the battle, and
makes copious use of both contemporary and modern photos and maps of the
battlefield and participants, including 18 color illustrations and 9 black and
white.
The Civil War started in Kansas in 1856. It was initially fought in towns like
Lecompton, Lawrence and Osawatomie. It was fought on battlefields like Black
Jack. It was fought along creeks such as the Pottawatomie and the Marias des
Cygnes. This book will discuss the background of Bleeding Kansas, and examine
the various battles and massacres that were part of it. It will then view the
aftermath of the conflict and its effect on the United States. It will use both
contemporary photographs and maps (mostly from the Library of Congress), as well
as modern photos of the sites described herein. There are 19 color photos and
maps, and 17 black and white.
The Civil War, more than any other war in the 19th century, directly impacted
modern warfare in the 20th century and beyond. Sometimes the impact was from
technological innovations – submarines, repeating rifles, rifled artillery and
armored ships were all used either for the first time in the Civil War, or used
first on a wide-scale in the Civil War. Sometimes, the impacts were from
strategic innovations - “total war”, “mobile war”, “trench warfare” and
“irregular warfare” all either debuted in the Civil War, or were used on a
wide-scale for the first time. This book will look at the top ten (11 actually -
#10 is a tie) innovations of the Civil War, especially in regard to their impact
on 20th and 21st century warfare. The book includes 23 black and white
illustrations and 12 color illustrations.
The Arizona desert provides splendid examples of ghost towns (Ruby, Duquesne,
Courtland) and historic towns (former boom towns that have survived into the
21st century - Jerome, Tombstone, Oatman). Echoes from famous figures from the
boom town days, such as Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, can still be heard today.
From abandoned sites such as Old Hachita and San Pedro to historic towns that
have survived until today (Columbus, Mesilla, Lincoln), New Mexico is rich in
old mining, ranching and railroading towns. The ghosts of Billy the Kid, Pat
Garrett, John Chisum, and even Pancho Villa, all players in New Mexico history,
can be felt in many of the towns.
This book examines 42 ghost towns and historic towns in Arizona and New Mexico,
and features 100+ color photos.
The Top 20 Railroad Songs of All Time looks at songs from the
19th and 20th century, in England and America, and
attempts to rank them from #20 to #1. Now, of
course, any ranking of this type that is not done
strictly based on numbers – say, record or sheet
music sales – is subjective, and in the opinion of
the author. Various criteria was examined to come up
with the rankings, including: - Popularity of the
song, both when it was released and now - Is the
song really about railroads or railroading, or does
it simply mention railroads or railroading? - How
evocative is the song in terms of time/place?
Timeline-wise, the list contains songs from the
pre-Civil War era until 1981. The music styles
include country ("Ballad of Casey Jones"), folk
("I've Been Working On the Railroad"), blues ("Love
in Vain"), rock ("White Room"), rock and roll ("One
After 909"), R&B ("Midnight Train to Georgia") and
swing ("Chattanooga Choo Choo"). A bit of background
about each song is included. The words/guitar chords
to the songs that are not in copyright are also
included.
While we often think of spies and spy networks as a 20th
century innovation, the Civil War was filled with both. Men and women on
both sides rallied to their respective cause, and volunteered to pass
information to either the North or South. The Civil War also saw many
innovations in spying, including the use of invisible ink, the use of
advanced cryptography, and numerous women risking their lives to act as
spies. Among the spies and spymasters covered are Belle Boyd, Jacob
Thompson, Rose O'Neal Greenhow, James J. Andrews, Pauline Cushman, Colonel
George H. Sharpe, Elizabeth Van Lew, General Grenville Dodge, Allen
Pinkerton and Lafayette Baker. The book includes 19 photos.
The author has written several books about ghost towns in the Southwest – Death
Valley, the Mojave, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. Those books have very much
been about places. This book, focused on gunslingers and lawmen, is very much
about people - the sort of people that populated many of the Western towns in
the post-Civil War “Old West”. The gunslinger category is focused on people
famous for handling a gun, who were not (primarily) in law enforcement. This
could include scouts, outlaws, target shooters, and “quick draw artists”. Among
the names in the "Top 10": Annie Oakley, Butch Cassidy, John Wesley Hardin, Doc
Holliday, Billy the Kid and Jesse James. The lawman category includes “gunmen”
sheriffs, known as much for their shooting and quick draw ability as for their
law enforcement skills, and also several professional law enforcement personnel
who made their careers as sheriffs or marshals, and started to develop what
later would become standard procedures for law enforcement officials in the 20th
century. Among the "Top 10" in the lawman category: Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok,
Pat Garrett, Allan Pinkerton and Seth Bullock. This edition contains 40 photos.
On April 20, 2010, I was interviewed on Russian
Television about Kennesaw's Gun Law. The finished product can be seen at the
link below. My interview segments took place in the cab of the famous Civil War
locomotive "General".
"A Brief History of Protestantism in
the United States" has been published
Robert Jones is available as a guest speaker to community, church
and school groups on various North Georgia and other historical topics.
Click here for
more information.
"Working
Virtually: The Challenges of Virtual Teams" published
Authors Joe Bozeman, Robert Jones and Sallie Loy have collected
over 200 old photos of Kennesaw, ranging from the 1880s to the 1980s and
published them in the book
Images of America: Kennesaw from Arcadia Publishing. The book is also
available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online outlets and stores.
The "Top 25" Trilogy
"The 25 Most Influential People in the Post-Apostolic
Christian Church" (color interior)
"The Top 25 Events in the History of the Christian
Church" (color interior)
"The 25 Most Influential Books in the
Post-Apostolic Christian Church" (color
interior)
Robert C.
Jones grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. In 1981, he moved to the
Atlanta, Georgia area, where he received a B.S. in Computer Science at DeVry
Institute of Technology. From 1984-2009, Robert worked for Hewlett-Packard as a
computer consultant. He now works as an author, researcher and videographer.
Robert is President of the Kennesaw Historical
Society, and Director of Programs and Education for the Kennesaw Museum
Foundation. He has written several books on Civil War and railroad themes,
including Civil War Prison Camps: A Brief History, Famous Songs of the Civil
War, Images of America: Kennesaw, Retracing the Route of Sherman's Atlanta
Campaign and March to the Sea, The Battle of Griswoldville: An Infantry Battle
on Sherman's March to the Sea, The Fifteen Most Critical Moments of the Civil
War, The Pennsylvania Railroad: An Illustrated Timeline, The Battle of Allatoona
Pass: The Forgotten Battle of Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, The Ten Best – and
Worst – Generals of the Civil War, The Top 10 Innovations of the Civil War,
Bleeding Kansas: The Real Start of the Civil War and The W&A, the General, and the
Andrews Raid: A Brief History.
Robert is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian
Church. He has written and taught numerous adult Sunday School courses. He is
the author of A Brief History of Protestantism in the United States, A Brief
History of the Sacraments: Baptism and Communion, Heaven and Hell: In the Bible,
the Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Meet the Apostles: Biblical and
Legendary Accounts, Monks and Monasteries: A Brief History, Revelation:
Background and Commentary, The 25 Most Influential Books in the Post-Apostolic
Christian Church, The 25 Most Influential People in the Post-Apostolic Christian
Church and The Crusades and the
Inquisition: A Brief History.
Robert has also written several books on ghost
towns in the Southwest, including Death Valley Ghost Towns – As They Appear
Today, Ghost Towns of the Mojave National Preserve and Ghost Towns of Western Nevada.
In 2005, Robert co-authored a business-oriented
book entitled Working Virtually: The Challenges of Virtual Teams.
The W&A, the "General", and the Andrews Raid: A Brief History
is available for sale on Amazon.
Black and white edition or
color edition (36 color photos). (To order wholesale (packs of 10
books), click
here.
