The collection consists of Daniel A. Dorsey's scrapbook, photographs and his personal annotated copy of William Pittenger's published account of the Great Chattanooga Locomotive Chase (1862).

Daniel A. Dorsey was a member of Andrews' Chattanooga Railroad Expedition of 1862, a Union Civil War raid. Brig. General Ormsby M. Mitchell, ordered Union spy, James J. Andrews, to take some men, capture a train, and isolate Chattanooga by destroying telegraph lines and burning bridges on the northern section of the Georgia State Railroad and the East Tennessee Railroad near the Georgia state line. Andrews put together an expedition of 24 (some sources say 22 men) Union Army volunteers from the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. On April 12, 1862, disguised as Southerners, they made their way in small groups to Marietta, Georgia. The men planned to board the train at Marietta and ride to Big Shanty (now Kennesaw), Georgia, a meal stop without telegraph communications. Heavy rains delayed them, but they gathered as planned. At Big Shanty passengers went into the station for breakfast except Andrews and his men, who left the train from the side opposite the station, dashed to the engine called "General," uncoupled it, its tender, and three boxcars and drove off. Wilson W. Brown, acted as engineer, William Knight as Assistant, Alfred Wilson as fireman, others served as brakemen on top of the cars, while others were along to blow up bridges and to supply cover fire under attack.

Collection is open for research.