JAMES ANDERSON

About the Topic:

The Andrews Raid, also known as “The Great Locomotive Chaise,” was one of the earliest American Civil War intelligence “special operations” efforts.  It occurred during the Union military campaign to capture Confederate-held Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the Spring of 1862.  The goal of the Andrews raiders was to sabotage the single-track rail line between Atlanta and Chattanooga, thus degrading Confederate resupply and reinforcement efforts.  

Although ultimately unsuccessful, the raid provided a number of “lessons learned” for later operations.  It also resulted in the first awarding of the newly-created Medal of Honor to the Union soldiers involved. In June 2024, the medals were presented to the living relatives of the last two eligible raiders, who had been inexplicably overlooked.

 About the Speaker:

“Jim” Anderson is a historian and lecturer, focusing on the Civil War and the American Frontier.  Mr. Anderson has an extensive background in leadership, management and national security, having spent 3 years in the U.S. Air Force and 30 years with the CIA.  Jim had a second career conducting leadership training seminars, with a focus on “classroom-in-the-field” tours of Civil War battlefields for a wide variety of government and corporate management teams. Since 2009, he has given lectures and tours on these topics at the Osher Life Long Learning Institute at George Mason University, the Cosmos Club, and local Civil War Round Tables, including twice speaking at the CWRTDC.  

Mr. Anderson has a BA in history from Rhodes College and MA in history from the University of Memphis. He is a past Board Chairman of the Friends of Ball’s Bluff Battlefield, and a member of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association, the Civil War Round Table of  the District of Columbia, the Bull Run Civil War Roundtable, and the Friends of Ball’s Bluff Battlefield.  

Jim currently lives in Ashburn, Virginia.