Buster Keaton was the lead role in 1926. He played Johnnie Gray and he got the girl also. The film was loosely based on the epic chase of a commandeered locomotive, called the General. A Union spy, Virginia born and Union troops drove the train many miles, intent on damage to the Confederacy. They had seized it by force.
An engineer and other Confederates seized another locomotive called The Texas. A wild chase ensued. They halted the General and the Union men ran for cover. The Texas, when I saw it at the Cyclorama building in Atlanta was on display.
Some critics have called this silent film "One of the greatest films of all time".
The General is one of the great films. It has even made the ‘10 Greatest’ list on occasion. There was never any criticism of the film over the fact that Keaton played a confederate. Funny how the farther we get from the Civil War, the more it seems to bother people.