My Sacred Places: William J. Knight's Grave in Stryker, Ohio

When I was a child, the famous Civil War locomotive The General came to Lafayette, Indiana, as part of an observance of the conflict that had occurred a century earlier. If you have not heard of The General, bear with me for a few sentences and you can read about its rôle in a thrilling story. I stood beside the steaming machine, which looked enormous to a small kid like me. The kindly engineer invited my father to permit me to board the steps to the engineer’s platform for a closer look at the firebox. The hissing locomotive made such a profound impression on me that I have long remembered every detail of the machine. A few years ago, I visited the Southern Museum at Kennesaw, Georgia, with its numerous outstanding exhibits, including the Glover Machine Works (so well worth the trip to see). I was in Kennesaw primarily to visit The General, which is housed in the museum. I thought it would not appear to be as large as it had seemed to me when I was a boy, but, when I entered the room where it stands, I felt dwarfed all over again! Those early locomotives were much larger than we might imagine. When I strolled to the side, I stared at the steps that I had seen when I was little, and all the brass details came back to me. I was a kid again!

The General, Involved in the Great Locomotive Chase,

Photographed When It Passed Through Lafayette, Indiana, in 1962

But my reason for composing this blog is not to focus on the locomotive or to tell again the story of its capture by Union soldiers. Over the years, I have collected all the books on the subject of Andrews Raid, including one rare volume, and have pored over them. Many are so well written that I have no business attempting to go over that ground again. An excellent recent book on the topic is Russell S. Bonds’ Stealing the General. No, my reason for blogging is to acknowledge Stryker, Ohio, the town where William J. Knight lived and where he is buried.   

My Framed Print of The General,

Involved in the Great Locomotive Chase

First, here is the Stryker Area Heritage Council’s summary of the thrilling story:

On April 12, 1862, 20 Union volunteers led by James J. Andrews infiltrated Southern lines in civilian clothes and stole the locomotive “The General” and three boxcars at Big Shanty, Ga. The Raiders planned to make their way north to Chattanooga, Tenn., tearing up railroad tracks, cutting telegraph lines and burning bridges behind them to isolate Confederate troops, communications and supplies, and help bring the Civil War to an end. Hotly pursued by Southerners in “The Great Locomotive Chase,” the General eventually ran out of fuel and water, and the Raiders fled to the woods, but all were soon captured and imprisoned. In June 1862, James J. Andrews and seven of the “engine thieves” were executed by hanging. Eight others, including William James Knight, escaped in October 1862 and secretly made their way back to Union lines; the remainder were released in an 1863 prisoner exchange. Hailed as Northern heroes for their part in “the boldest adventure of the war,” six of the Raiders became the nation’s first Medal of Honor recipients. The Andrews Raid has inspired numerous articles, books and films.

I am not one of the many Civil War buffs who have visited the gravesites of every person who took an active part in Andrews Raid; in fact, I have been to see the cemetery markers of only two of the raiders. For some reason, I have often felt compelled to return to Oak Ridge Cemetery to pay my respects to William J. Knight. At the time of the raid, William was only 25 years old. He was supposed to be the back-up engineer, but the soldier who was designated to run the engine was delayed in Marietta and, at a place called Big Shanty, William stepped up on the platform of The General and stepped straight into history. I think I am drawn to his grave because he was so much braver than I have ever been or ever will be. It took guts to steal a locomotive with the crew in a restaurant on one side of the tracks and with a field full of Confederate soldiers on the other side. The Southern Museum is located almost exactly where William pulled the throttle. I like to think of William going back to his hometown of Stryker and living and working there for the rest of his good and honest life. As I am from a small town, I have a special place in my heart for others who have come from rural areas, especially those who, like William, have reached toward the pinnacle of bravery. As I have run an agricultural steam traction engine, I have a deep appreciation for William and what he attempted back in 1862.

Most of the graves in Oak Ridge Cemetery are arranged in concentric circles. I find the design fitting for William’s burial place. He left Stryker for the war, he dared to steal The General, he dared again to escape from prison, and he eventually returned to Stryker, where he lived out his life; the brave engineer traced a circle that began and ended in Stryker. Throughout his life, William attended the reunions of the raiders and of those that had served on both sides of the war. How I wish I could have been there to listen to the former soldiers, and how I wish I could have asked William questions about The General!

I can only stand wondering in Oak Ridge Cemetery with the quiet breezes playing about the blades of grass and lifting the folds of the American flag that marks where William rests from his labors.

Markers of Engineer William J. Knight

In Oak Ridge Cemetery

Stryker, Ohio