Robert W. Smith This PowerPoint presentation covers a brief history of Robert W. Smith, and an extensive
Piece Duration: 4 minutes explanation of the story behind the composition. This presentation also covers the
Presentation Duration: 45 minutes compositional techniques used by Smith, and a related information section that may
involve discussion with your students. All Powerpoints contain director notes, and resources.
1. T h e Gr e a t
L o c o mo t iv e
Ch a s e
(2 0 0 0 )
Robert W. Smith
Created by John Sierakowski (2007)
Northern Illinois University
Grade 2
2. The Great Locomotive Chase
• Commissioned and dedicated
to the 1999-2000 Tapp Middle
School (GA) Symphonic Band
• Composer Robert W. Smith
– Africa: Ceremony, Song and Ritual
– The Tempest
– Encanto
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3. History behind the composition
• Follows the story of Union spy James Andrews in
his efforts to cut off resources to the confederate
army during the Civil War.
• The Confederate Railroad system.
• “Boldest Civil War adventure.”
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6. The Story Unfolds
• Andrews’ group travels from Chattanooga,
Tennessee to Marrietta, Georgia.
• Total of twenty men that participated in the
mission.
• Big Shanty, Georgia
(now Kennesaw)
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8. The Chase Begins
• William Allen Fuller – The Pursuer
• As “The General” burns through
Georgia towns, Fuller and
Murphy chase on foot
and handcar.
• Derailed Handcar leads Fuller to
take control of a locomotive in
Etowah.
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9. The Chase continues
• “Yonah” pursues “The General”
• Minutes pass in between Andrews’ departure and
Fuller’s arrival.
• Fuller and Anthony run into more pulled up tracks.
• Fuller commandeers the
“Texas.”
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11. The Chase Ends
• “The General” was running out of water and
wood.
• Abandoning the train.
• The hunt for Andrews’
Raiders
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12. The Results
• The hunt continues
• Execution of some of the raiders.
• Others never brought to
trail
• Survivors received medals
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14. More techniques
• Accelerando and
vocals
• Glissando
• “Loosing Steam”
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15. Related Information
• American Terrorists or Military importance?
• Memorial to Andrews’ Raiders
• Andrews in the movies
• The General final resting
home
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16. Resources Cited
• Joswick, D. & L. (2002). The Great Locomotive Chase: The Definitive Story of the Andrews
Raid – April 12, 1862. Retrieved March 27, 2007, from The Great
Locomotive Chase Website: www.andrewsraid.com/
• No Author (2007). The First Medals of Honor. Retrieved March 27, 2007, from Home of
Heroes Website: http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/history/history_first.html
• No Author (2007). The Great Locomotive Chase. Retrieved March 25, 2007, from The
Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History Website:
www.southernmuseum.org/
• No Author (2007). The Great Locomotive Chase. Retrieved March 25, 2007, from Carl
Vinson Institute of Government: Georgia Info
Website: www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/
• Pittenger, W. (1887). The History of Andrews Railroad Raid into Georgia in 1862. New
York : War Pub. Co.
• Smith, R.W. (2000). The Great Locomotive Chase [Score]. California: Belwin-Mills.
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Hinweis der Redaktion
The Great Locomotive Chase by Robert W. Smith (2000) Piece Duration: 4 minutes Presentation Duration: 45 minutes
Tapp Middle School Symphonic Band is located in Powder Springs, Georgia under the direction of Erin Cole. The Great Locomotive Chase was written to celebrate their performance at the University of Georgia in 1999. Robert W. Smith, prolific composer for wind and orchestra literature. Composed over 600 pieces, including; Africa: Ceremony, Song and Ritual, The Tempest, and Encanto. Currently, he teaches composition, production, publishing and business at Troy University in Troy, AL.
James Andrews was a Union spy, civilian, and a trusted by the Union commanders The Confederate Railroad System connected Atlanta, Georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee This extensive railway system transported equipment and ammunitions, troops, food, and supplies to Confederate troops to the northeast. American Author, Joel Chandler Harris (1848-1908), declared The Great Locomotive Chase as “the boldest adventure of the war.” Due to the dangers that Andrews and his group faced in this act of war.
Union General Buell employed Andrews and eight other men to burn the bridges of Chattanooga. This original mission was a failure. Andrews, destined to complete the mission, submitted a plan to General O. M. Mitchel (serving under General Buell) to make another attempt. The dangers of the plan: Entering unfamiliar hostile Southern territory, stealing a locomotive under the noses of highly guarded railway depots, flying through towns unnoticed, cutting telegraph communications along the way, avoids other trains on the track, wrecking railroad ties and track, placing obstacles to derail any pursuers, and burn the main bridge in Chattanooga which would isolate the city for its future defeat.
Well, does it?
They travel on the train to scope out any potential obstacles with the mission, including where the capture of the locomotive would take place. Big Shanty, Georgia where the locomotive would be captured, was recently made a Confederate camp, which would make the capture all the more difficult. Saturday, April 12 th , 1862 Andrews and his men dressed as civilians, bought tickets to Chattanooga, with plans of stopping in Big Shanty for breakfast. Big Shanty, guarded to the brim with Confederate solders, capture “The General”.
A wood-burning 4-4-0 locomotive, built in 1855, delivered freight and passengers.
William Allen Fuller was the conductor of The General, and was determined to foil the unknown captors’ plans. Fuller was joined by Anthony Murphy. “ The General” stops frequently to cut telegraph wires, to pull up railroad track, and load up on cross-ties for burning. They are also delayed by other trains using the track at Etowah Station. Fuller and Anthony’s handcar is derailed, and they take control a locomotive in Etowah, named “Yonah”
Fuller, knowing that the Andrews Raiders would be tied up in Kingston due to delays in the railroad schedule, chases after “The General”. Fuller arrives in Kingston minutes after Andrews leaves, the rail yard is backed up. Fuller and Anthony abandon “Yonah” and take control of a Rome Brach Engine, with 40 Confederate solders. Andrews Raiders continue to stop to pull more railroad tracks to slow the pursuers, Fuller and Anthony continue on foot. Fuller commandeers a locomotive going the opposite direction, and is forced to chase “The General” backwards.
Fuller spots “The General” around Resaca, Georgia. Andrews and his Raiders desperately try to derail the pursuing engine by dropping railroad ties onto the tracks. Around Dalton, Fuller releases orders with a man to get warning to Chattanooga and the bridges. This creates city wide panic. Andrews can not stop for more supplies due to the closely pursuing train conductor Fuller.
Due to Andrews not being able to stop for supplies, “The General” is loosing steam. Andrews decides to abandon “The General” and place her in reverse hoping to run into the “Texas”. As “The General” looses steam, the “Texas” has no problem stopping in time to avoid any damage. Andrews and his raiders escape on foot, 18 miles short of Chattanooga, never completing the mission. The hunt begins in capturing all of Andrews’ Raiders.
The hunt for the fugitives was immediate, and successful. 18 out of the 20 Raiders were captured within a week, 8 were executed, including Andrews Others never brought to trail, because of the advancing Union into the South, or escaped from prison. Survivors were the first recipients of the Medal of Honor
Robert W. Smith uses many compositional techniques to capture the sounds of the locomotive, and to enhance the programmatic ideas of the piece. “ Haaaa!” mimics the steam from the locomotive Chimes serve as a representation of “The General’s” train bell Diminished chord used to represent “The General’s” train whistle
Smith uses an accelerando and “shhh” vocals to mimic “The General’s” departure from Big Shanty. Glissandos in brass and woodwinds to mimic train whistle for the “The General” and “Texas”. The final bars, the piece seems to loose steam rhythmically, and really adds to the end of the story with more “haaaa!” vocals to represent “The General” loosing steam.
Would we consider these American Terrorists today, or do we consider this military importance? Does it depend on whether you lived in the North or South? Memorial to Andrews’ Raiders lies in Chattanooga Union Cemetary, Tennesse Walt Disney pictures created the movie “The Great Locomotive Chase” (1956), Fess Parker playing Andrews, and Jeffery Hunter playing Fuller The General can be seen in Kennesaw, Georgia – originally Big Shanty.