Biden bestows Medal of Honor on Union soldiers who helped hijack train in Confederate territory

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry to two Union soldiers who stole a locomotive deep in Confederate territory during the Civil War and drove it north for 87 miles (140 kilometers) as they destroyed railroad tracks and telegraph lines.

U.S. Army Pvts. Philip G. Shadrach and George D. Wilson were captured by Confederates and executed by hanging. Biden recognized their courage 162 years later with the country’s highest military decoration, calling the operation they joined “one of the most dangerous missions of the entire Civil War.”

“Every soldier who joined that mission was awarded the Medal of Honor except for two. Two soldiers who died because of that operation and never received this recognition,” Biden said. “Today, we right that wrong.”

The posthumous recognition comes as the legacy of the Civil War, which killed more than 600,000 Union and Confederate service members 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.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/medal-honor-biden-civil-war-locomotive-f951c46a9efe66be4869fa3a78fef34d

[Hermit-The-Prog]

1. Slave states and a Subversive Court have placed women into State servitude as incubators.

[Evolve Dammit]

2. Excellent post. The Silent Calvary is a very good read on Georgians who helped Sherman. So good they were his escorts.

[3catwoman3]

4. It's cavalry.

Not intended to be critical.

[Evolve Dammit]

11. Yeah I know..

[Aristus]

9. Calvary was the hill Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on.

Cavalry is made up of horse-mounted soldiers.

[Evolve Dammit]

10. Yeah I know. Typo. Sorry

[Squaredeal]

3. The leader of the raid was a civilian

He was hanged too and never recognized for his bravery.

[oasis]

5. I remember an early 60s Disney film with

Fess(Davy Crockett) Parker. I forget the title but it was the same scenario. Based on true story..

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. The Great Locomotive Chase

Also, there was Buster Keaton's "The General", which is a great movie, but sympathetic to the Confederacy

[oasis]

7. That's it. 1956 also starring Jeffrey Hunter.

🎼I stole a locomotive just to take a ride ‘cause my pappy was a railroad man
Now I am wanted dead or alive ‘cause my pappy was a railroad man🎼

I got the date wrong on my initial post but I remembered the film’s song that the brave guys were singing while that were riding the confederate train they stole.
Thanks for reminding me of the film title.

[Evolve Dammit]

12. Wasn't he Dan'l Boone?

[oasis]

13. Fess Parker's "claim to fame" was his role

playing “Davy Crockett” for Disney productions. It was wildly popular on ‘50s television. The weekly TV program , “Disneyland” ran the feature in 3 parts. The first dealt with Crockett’s involvement in the Creek Indian wars which he was portrayed as scout and adviser to Gen. Andrew Jackson (later president),

Second part featured Crockett’s political campaign and election to U.S. Congress.

The third segment was all about his heroism at the Alamo.

Crockett was so popular, Disney brought his character back to make a two part series “Mike Fink, Riverboat King”. Fess Parker as Davy, Jeff York as Mike Fink.

Fess and Jeff later teamed up to make the “locomotive” film for Disney.

[blue-wave]

8. Yes!!

Our president knew this was long overdue. I remember watching a civil war documentary which discussed this event. A very well deserved honor for two American patriots.