The Georgia Archives Lunch and Learn presentation, “The Andrews Raid – Great Locomotive Chase Bicycle Touring Route,” by Dr. William H. Bailey, will be held onsite. The presentation is on Friday, January 13 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Georgia Archives, 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, Ga.
The Lunch and Learn presentation is free, and no registration is required.
Dr. William H. Bailey will discuss the 109-mile bicycle route and historic stops and attractions along the way, from Marietta, Georgia, to the place where the Great Locomotive Chase ended, two miles north of Ringgold in the Appalachian Ridge and Valley region of Georgia.
A failed covert military mission during the American Civil War inspired Bailey to create a bicycle-touring route in Georgia. In 1862, smuggler and spy James Andrews led twenty-two enlisted Union Army soldiers and one civilian, all from Ohio, to interrupt movement of armaments by railroad from Atlanta to the Confederate Army in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Their method was to commandeer a train and use it to destroy bridges along the Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&ARR) connecting the two cities.
Bailey’s purpose for describing the route is multifold. “Kids need heroes!” he said when considering that the first recipients of the Medal of Honor were members of the Andrews Raiders. He added that “One should publish their ideas, or they will perish with you!” As a professional geographer and avid adventure cyclist, Bailey views tracing the route of the Andrews Raid on a bicycle as an opportunity to reconstruct a historical event of enduring significance, explore natural and human environments of a section of contemporary Georgia, and have fun doing it. He states that “One way to learn about people, places, and events – both historical and contemporary, is to travel along meaningful bicycle touring routes. This route is easily accessible to a broad range of touring cyclists and is particularly recommended for teachers and students from middle school to higher education.”
Bailey is a retired professional geographer who resides in Auburn, Alabama. He has a Bachelor of Arts and a master’s degree from the University of Georgia, as well as a doctoral degree from the University of Tennessee. He is a U.S. Army veteran with experience as an educator in university and K-12 positions. He is also an avid bicycle tourist, especially along historical routes, and has been published in numerous bicycle touring publications.
The Georgia Archives is a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The Georgia Archives identifies, collects, manages, preserves, provides access to, and publicizes records and information of Georgia and its people, and assists state and local government agencies with their records management.
