President Biden will on Wednesday posthumously award the Medal of Honor to two Union soldiers who pirated a locomotive deep in Confederate territory during the Civil War and then drove it 87 miles north, destroying railroad tracks and telegraph lines along the way. 

Private Philip G. Shadrach and Private George D. Wilson will receive the honor for their gallantry and intrepidity while participating in a covert military operation 200 miles behind Confederate lines on April 12, 1862, which became known as the Great Locomotive Chase. 

In what was one of the earliest special operations in U.S. Army history, Union soldiers dressed as civilians infiltrated the Confederacy and hijacked the General Locomotive in Georgia before proceeding north.

LAST SURVIVING MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT FROM THE KOREAN WAR LIES IN HONOR AT US CAPITOL

The goal of the operation was to destroy the Western and Atlantic Railroad between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and help bring about the end of the Civil War. They were pursued by Confederate forces on foot, and then later on by a succession of locomotives, including The Texas.

Although the raiders caused a lot of damage, they were unable to burn bridges or damage Tunnel Hill and the train stopped 18 miles from Chattanooga after the wood they had hoped to burn was soaked by rain resulting in the locomotive running out of fuel. 

The plan for the Great Locomotive Chase was hatched by James J. Andrews – a Kentucky-born civilian spy and scout. Andrews and 23 other men, including Shadrach and Wilson, later became known as the Andrews’ Raiders and infiltrated the South in small groups, rendezvousing north of Atlanta at Marietta, Georgia.  

Six of the Union participants became the Army’s first recipients of the newly created Medal of Honor. It is unknown why Private Shadrach and Private Wilson were not originally recommended for the award. The Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor, and it has been awarded to more than 3,500 people. 

COL. RALPH PUCKETT, KOREAN WAR HERO AND MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT, DEAD AT 97

According to the White House, both were deserving in 1863 and will be posthumously awarded later today. The first Medal of Honor ever bestowed went to Pvt. Jacob Parrott, who participated in the locomotive hijacking and was beaten while imprisoned by the Confederacy.

Shadrach, a native Pennsylvanian and Union Army Soldier, and Wilson, a soldier from Belmont County, Ohio, were eventually captured by Confederates and executed by hanging. Biden is recognizing their courage 162 years later with the country’s highest military decoration.

Shadrach, who was left orphaned at an early age, was 21 years old when he volunteered for the dangerous mission. He left home in 1861 and enlisted in the Ohio Infantry’s 2nd Regiment.

Wilson was originally a tradesman who supported his family as a journeyman shoemaker. He enlisted in an Ohio-based volunteer infantry in 1861.

Both The General and The Texas survived the war and have been preserved in museums. The General is located at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, in Kennesaw, Georgia, while The Texas is at the Atlanta History Center.

The Walt Disney Corp. made a 1956 movie about the hijacking titled "The Great Locomotive Chase," starring Fess Parker and Jeffrey Hunter. The 1926 silent film "The General," starring Buster Keaton, was also based on the historic event.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Caitlin Clark, once again, brought fans to the seats on Tuesday night.

Despite her Indiana Fever losing their fourth game out of their last five, and her dropping only 13 points (she did hand out 11 assists), over 20,000 people packed the T-Mobile Center in Las Vegas to see her take on the defending WNBA champions.

It was the biggest crowd the Aces have seen in franchise history, and it was also the arena's largest crowd ever, with 20,366 coming through the doors.

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Clark's stardom, though, has also been a subject of some hot-button debates. One headline came back in May, when Aces star and back-to-back WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson said that Clark being White was a "huge thing" in her popularity.

However, Clark says the "energy" in the WNBA has shifted from gossip and making headlines to appreciation for the game.

"It’s a good vibe, it’s a good feel. People are just coming to see the product on the floor. It got a little too gossipy in the beginning, but then it started to fizzle out, because people are starting to realize we’re really good at what we do, we’re elite at what we do. I love the energy now," Wilson said on Tuesday to the ESPN broadcast after she dropped 28 points and nine rebounds.

The two shared a hug and smile after the Aces' 88-69 win.

CAITLIN CLARK RECEIVES MOST VOTES FOR WNBA ALL-STAR GAME, WILL BE TEAMMATES WITH ANGEL REESE

"People are seeing good hoops, and that’s what it’s about. We come out here, we work hard, we play basketball at a very high level, and people are believing in it, they’re trusting in it, and investing in it. And that’s the energy we’re feeling right now," Wilson continued.

Wilson's race comments are just the tip of the iceberg, as there have been plenty of slights directed at Clark, both directly and indirectly.

Whether it is opponents playing harder (and arguably dirtier), celebrating her rough showings on the floor or social media posts, Clark has become a rather polarizing figure for much more than her skill.

Last week, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert shut down the notion that she was targeted, saying that it seems that way due to her spotlight, and her treatment on the floor is similar to everyone else.

The rookie phenom received the most votes for this month's All-Star Game, being the only player to receive over 700,000 votes - she beat Wilson by nearly 90,000.

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