Category Archives: Civil War

3 Ladies

05 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Cemeteries, Civil War, Marietta, Statues and Monuments

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New statue unveiled.

New statue unveiled.

A new statue was unveiled at the Marietta City & Confederate Cemetery representing the Marietta Ladies’ Memorial Association members who single-handedly gathered and re-interred the dead Confederate soldiers. They represent Jane Glover, Mary Green, and the third statue represents all of the other women who worked to make this cemetery possible.

Read the article from the Marietta Daily Journal at this link: http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/23631531/article-Marietta-plans-big-weekend-for-150th-anniversary-of-cemetery.

Mothers and Daughters Reclaimed their Dead

18 Friday Oct 2013

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Ladies’ Memorial Association

Mothers, daughters, and sisters formed groups that went out in search of dead Confederate soldiers. The purpose was to re-inter dead Confederate soldiers in proper locations. The organization was named the Ladies’ Memorial Association (LMA). These groups established cemeteries and raised money to erect memorials and monuments commemorating the sacrifice in the South.

Local groups sprung up across the South. The popularity was attributed to the perception that the Federal Government had abandoned dead Confederate soldiers. Shortly after the Civil War, Congress enacted legislation creating the United States National Cemetery designation. There are 146 cemeteries across the nation. Very few allow Confederate burials. Whereas the Union dead were interred and buried in a respectful manner, the Confederate dead left in mass graves. The women of the LMA reclaimed the Confederate dead and buried them in Confederate cemeteries.

Through the efforts of LMS members, Southern states recognized April 26th as Confederate Memorial Day. Ultimately, the LMA groups transitioned to form the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) in 1894. Women are still involved today.

Military cemeteries are fascinating. And the Confederate ones are no different. There is a solemn mood over these sections. The Marietta City and Confederate Cemetery contains over 3,000 Confederate dead. Take a stroll and let the ghosts tell their tales.

UPDATE: The picture attached with this blog has been removed. I have re-researched the image and found that it was not of an actual Ladies Memorial Association visiting a grave.

 

Rev. T.E. Nash

07 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by in Battlefields, Civil War, Farms, Residences

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Rev. TE Nash Nash Farm, Henry County

Rev. TE Nash
Nash Farm, Henry County

Thompson Edward “T.E.” Nash was born on September 20, 1811 in Laurensville, South Carolina. In 1858, T.E. purchased the Nash Farm from his brother Elihu Nash. T.E. was appointed postmaster of Fosterville and was a minister, contributing the land for the County Line Methodist Church. Although T.E. did not fight in the Civil War, his property was one of the largest campsites in Georgia. According to the Nash Farm Battlefield Website, the property was probably abandoned during that time.

The main house was built prior to the 1920 date recorded in the county property records. It has been preserved and converted into the museum.

Investigation: On two separate occasions, the Ghost Radar indicated “red” activity in this area. On one occasion, the Spirit Voice box repeated the word “Hi.” One was a female voice.

Observations: During both trips to the farm, a “green” light attached to us and remained with us the entire time. We picked up a lot of words. Most notable were the words: north, choice, condition, supply, march, differ, parts, equally, saved, bone, victory, fell, death, and October.

We plan to revisit the farm in the near future.

Nash Farm Museum

Nash Farm Museum

 

Nash Farm Battlefield

04 Friday Oct 2013

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Nash Farm Battlefield

Nash Farm Battlefield

Nash Farm Battlefield

Located in Henry County, Georgia, this farm covers 204 acres. It was the final stop in Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign and was the largest Cavalry raid in Georgia.

Between August 18-20, 1864, General Sherman ordered Major General Judson Kilpatrick’s cavalry to break through the Confederate infantry. This raid would be considered the largest cavalry charge in Georgia.

Today, the Nash Farm Battlefield is a backdrop to the Civil War. The rolling fields are open and meticulously preserved. Dirt trails allow for vehicles to drive around the property. Detailed signs highlight the events leading up to and after the raid. The large pond and cement dock remind visitors of how vast the farm was. It is a place where time has stopped.

In the coming days, I will report on our investigations at the farm.

A museum sits on the property; however, it is open only on Fridays and Saturdays. Another homestead is also on the property. It has not been restored and is shuttered. Visit www.henrycountybattlefield.com for more information. Note: The Battlefield is OPEN and not subject to any federal slimdowns.

 

The Battle of Bloody Lane

28 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by in Cemeteries, Civil War, Georgia Statesmen, Historic Oakland Cemetery

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General John B. Gordon Confederate Section Block K-3

General John B. Gordon
Confederate Section
Block K-3

Battle of Bloody Lane

John Brown Gordon was born on February 6, 1832 in Upson County, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia but opted to drop out to study law. Gordon passed the Georgia Bar in 1854 and began his short-lived career as a lawyer. Later that year Gordon married Rebecca “Fanny” Haralson (9.18.1837-4.28.1931). Abandoning his legal career, Gordon dabbled in various occupations before the Civil War erupted.

Civil War

Gordon was one of the least experienced men to enter the ranks; however, he ended the war as Robert E. Lee’s most trusted soldiers. During the “Battle of Bloody Lane,” Gordon was heavily wounded (five times). Gordon is credited as stating: “Until the sun goes down or victory is won.” His faithful wife, Fanny, nursed him back to health whereupon he quickly returned to service. On May 14, 1864, Gordon was conferred as Major General of the CSA.

Post-Civil War

Fanny was an active member of the Atlanta Ladies’ Memorial Association, a sub-set of the organization credited with locating and burying the Confederate soldiers in proper graves. Gordon is widely believed to have presented the founding documents of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and becoming the titular leader (Grand Dragon) at the national convention held in Nashville, Tennessee in April 1867. Gordon became politically active and served as a U.S. Senator (1873-1880, 1891-1897) and Governor (1886-1890). A prominent Democrat, Gordon is honored with a statue at the Georgia Capitol.

Gordon died in Miami, Florida, on January, 9, 1904, with Fanny by his side.

 

The Confederate Section

27 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by in Cemeteries, Civil War, Georgia Statesmen, Historic Oakland Cemetery

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The Lion of Atlanta Confederate Section

The Lion of Atlanta
Confederate Section

The Confederate Section at the Oakland Cemetery is the principal place in Atlanta for mourning and memorialization of the soldiers who fought in the war. The remains of soldiers came predominately from battles in Peachtree Creek, East Atlanta, Ezra Church, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge.

Brigadier General Clement Anslam Evans
Block K-9

Clement Evans was born on February 25, 1833, near Lumpkin in Stewart, County, Georgia. He attended Augusta Law School and passed the Georgia State Bar at the age of 18. By the time he turned 21, Evans was a county judge. At 25, Evans was a State Senator affiliated with the Know-Nothing Party. When the Civil War broke out, Evans resigned from the legislature.

Evans organized a militia in 1860 and quickly climbed through the ranks. He was promoted to Brigadier General in May 1864. He was wounded five times during the war. After the war was over, Evans found his true calling as a preacher with the Methodist Church.

Evans married his first wife, Mary Allen “Allie” Walton, in 1854. They had eight children; however, three died in infancy. He would marry his second wife, Sarah Avary Evans in 1887 (see previous post).

General Evans had a full life where he was a politician, officer, author, historian, and finally a minister. His funeral procession was one of the largest held at that time. In honor of his service to the State of Georgia, the legislature created Evans County in 1914.

As you may know, General Evans does not rest beside his wife but is among the other Confederate Generals within Oakland.

The Most Exclusive Section

25 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Cemeteries, Civil War, Georgia Statesmen, Historic Oakland Cemetery, Leo Frank, Sports Related, Universities

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Grant Mausoleum Block 57 Eclectic 1888

Grant Mausoleum
Block 57 Eclectic 1888

The Bell Tower Ridge

The Bell Tower Ridge is by far the most sought after area of the cemetery. The land is the second highest naturally occurring point in Atlanta. The panoramic views are stunning. As are the elaborate mausoleums the surround the Bell Tower.

During the Civil War, James Williams owned a two-story house in this section. As the “Battle of Atlanta” was raging, Confederate General John B. Hood stood watch from this vantage point. An historic marker denotes the location.

One of the most elegant–and costly–mausoleums belongs to the Grant Family. John T. Grant (d. 1887) made his fortune building railroad lines. His grandson, John W. Grant (1867-1938) was a banker and real estate developer. John W.’s grandson, Hugh Inman Grant died at the age of 11. To honor Hugh’s memory, John W. donated the money to build a football stadium at Georgia Tech. Originally named Grant Field, the stadium is now called the Bobby Dodd Stadium in Historic Grant Field.

The family mausoleum houses a number of people. The most notable is John Slaton (d. 1955) former Georgia Governor who commuted the death sentence of Leo Frank, the man convicted of killing 13-year-old Mary Phagan. (See the Marietta City and Confederate Section for a discussion). Gov. Slaton married into the Grant family and was given a plot.

Investigation: On my first visit to Oakland and before I toured the mausoleums in this area, I received several words on my Ghost Radar: score, involved, draw, play, Europe, football, rapidly, and orange.

It was only after I went home and researched that particular area did I find a possibly connection. However, subsequent visits have not produced any communication. None. Therefore, I cannot conclusively state that these words came from the Grant Mausoleum. It makes a great story, though.