On April 12, 1862, the locomotive "General" was stolen from Big Shanty, Georgia, by Union agents in an attempt to block Confederate rail traffic from Chattanooga to Atlanta. The "General" was pursued by the southern engine, " Texas", and was captured north of Ringgold, Georgia.

After laying at rest in Chattanooga for 70 years, the "General" was given to the state of Georgia at the end of a 3-year U.S. Supreme Court battle. This historic locomotive is now on permanent display at the Kennesaw, Georgia Museum.

The "General" suffered damage during the war when an ammunition train was blown up in the Atlanta rail yards. Although different in appearance today, the "General" is in full running condition and made a commemorative run in 1962 under its own power.