The War at Home

Many of my posts over the last few years have been about the events and times surrounding the Sesquicentennial of the War Between the States. This week that commemoration came really close to home. By close I mean right through my yard.

This week I thought about it a lot. More than normal. Because it was on my mind, I was able to visualize things that I normally don't think about. A quick trip to the store, driving to work, letting my kids play in the yard or an outing for ice cream and a walk along the river. None of these would be possible 150 years ago this week for fear of being harassed or captured by Union soldiers or perhaps even being caught in a deadly crossfire and killed...or worse, The carnage of war, the threat of collateral damage, and the destruction and confiscation  of personal private property had reached my community. It wasn't in a newspaper or a letter from the front. It was in the valleys all around this area.

Sherman had arrived.

While Sherman himself was not knocking at the city gates, many of his subordinates were. Ironically led by Jefferson C. Davis, the Union force tried to outflank Johnston's retreat from Resaca. Their path carried them through Floyd Springs (where A.H. Stephens had spoken against secession just 3 1/2 years previous) and then, on May 15th,  to Farmer's Bridge at Armuchee Creek. Davis had been told that this was an Oostanaula River crossing. He found it to be a creek crossing and that Georgia creeks can be a bit larger than what many folks call a creek. He also found Company G, 12th Alabama Cavalry, who had plans that didn't involve a Union creek crossing.

Capt. Lokey's grave at Farmer's Bridge

Company G, led by Capt. William Lokey, was comprised of about 50 men. Most of these men were newcomers and had seen little action. The Alabama boys ignored initial orders to retreat and held firm on the south bank of the creek. They fired upon 3 regiments of Union soldiers in what could be considered far more crazy than brave. Their courage is commendable but their attempt at Thermopylae wasn't much more successful than its predecessor. The vastly superior numbers would flank the Company by sending men well up and downstream and fording the creek. The Johnnies found themselves confronted on three sides. Capt. Lokey and nine of his men were killed, and six were captured. Three of the captured soldiers were wounded and therefore released. The other three were carried to Union prison camps where, predictably, they perished.

The 3rd Ave. bridge site as it appears today

Company G would fall back to DeSoto Hill and then to Rome before all Confederate forces in the city were called to join Johnston in Cassville to oppose Sherman's lines there. Davis would reach DeSoto Hill on the 17th and then meet the token defense put up by Confederate forces. On May 18th, Jefferson C. Davis, with his musicians playing an arrangement of Dixie, marched across the bridge at 3rd Avenue and captured Rome. Georgia for the Union a year to the month after the attempt by Abel Streight was thwarted by Nathan Bedford Forrest. (Forrest had been reassigned to Tennessee after threatening to kill Braxton Bragg after Chickamauga.)

Davis would remain in Rome until the 24th when he would move towards Dallas in Paulding County.

Rome would remain in Union control for the remainder of the war. In November it would become the first city burned in the March to the Sea.

Casualties from Company G at Farmer's Bridge: 

Killed in action, buried at Farmer's Bridge: Capt. William T. Lokey, Pvt. B. Brown, Pvt. A.D. Turren, Pvt. P. W. Ward, Pvt. J.J. Morgan, Pvt. Benjamin Garrett, Pvt. Cullen Porter, Pvt. Benjamin Porter, Pvt. W.H. Ellis, Pvt. Thomas Barnard, 

Captured, died in U.S. Military Prison, Alton Illinois: Pvt. Joel Weems, Pvt. Edwin P. Morris

Captured, died in Camp Douglas, Chicago, Illinois: Pvt. Joseph B. Harper

Captured wounded and released: Pvt. J. Brown, Pvt. J.M. Robertson, Pvt. Marcus L. Formby 

Comments

I hate the comments section of the Internet. It's not just because I've had such woefully bad luck with the comments section of my own blog (as many of you have reported). No, the reason I hate the comments section is because I see the Internet as the accumulation of the entire wealth of mankind's accumulated knowledge. The comments section is the accumulation of our ignorance.

For instance, I've been following the recovery, restoration and investigation of the CSS Hunley since its discovery was announced several years ago. After reading an article about the next phase of the preservation that is just beginning, I (for untold reasons) read the comments section. There were a few decent comments and then I saw it.

The name has been changed to protect the ignorant. 

"Our roads are crumbling, our poor die because they lack health care, our governors idea of well paying jobs for the citizens of our state is a Wal Mart job yet somehow the state can find millions upon millions to preserve a relic of a war that is best forgotten" - Carlton Markus

This is not just the most inane assembly of letters in the history of the English language. I'll not discuss the grammar or even the obvious libero-socialist undertones in the complaint. Let's look at what was just said, in the order of my choosing.

Last things first! Any time there are 650,000 servicemen killed and the civilian deaths reportedly bring the total as high as 2 million, that war should NEVER be forgotten. I know he probably meant that slavery should be left behind us and the poor simpleton was taught that slavery was THE cause of the war and that is not the rabbit hole I'm crawling into tonight. Whew! Slavery is best left in our past. And we must teach our children and grandchildren that it was real and that it was wrong and that we must never go back to those times. But we must never forget. Ever.

Jobs. Nikki Haley is the most visually positive governor in these united States. But besides that, she is a good governor. I wish she was ours. Or at least that ours had her...umm...guts. You don't have to be a South Carolinian to know that historic tourism is a major source of income for the state and many non-Wal-Mart jobs are supported by the tourism industry. I'd venture to say that the historic tourism industry supports more jobs than taking money from working people to pay someone else's medical bills ever would. The Hunley is being analyzed and preserved by a team of scientists and historians that make more money than Wal-Mart workers and pay taxes in South Carolina - the same taxes that pay for roads.

The Hunley operations are also largely supported by a private organization that raises money through donations that are willingly given by people who believe it should be preserved and want to see this effort carried out - unlike the current "health care" law.

As far as the Hunley being some stray relic: This ship was the first submarine to ever sink an enemy ship. Long before German U-Boats hunted the northern waters, before Trident missiles were designed to deliver the apocalypse from the bottom of the sea, and before Marco Ramius, a team of Southern men piled in a doomed contraption and sailed off to fight for what they believed in. If that isn't worthy of being remembered, I'm not sure what is. Then consider that thousands of people came from all over the planet to attend the burial of the crew and you start to see the economic impact of this "relic". 

Then forget the historic significance. The scientific, conservation and preservation efforts alone make the project worthwhile. The possibilities for what might be learned from the research alone are endless.

Our history is important. It tells us who we are and where we came from. Its our identity. And when people care about it they not only become better citizens, they create jobs and stimulate the economy. They make things like health care and roads possible. Historic tourism is an economic force that we often let political correctness dampen. Let's unleash this economic force in our communities and our states. Don't let ignorance stall it.

The Steps

It's a milestone. So while I'm kicking off the "Thirty-Something Farewell Tour" (and unlike Barbara Streisand and Cher, this one is for real) I've come to a few realizations. 

I'm not ever going to quit eating biscuits. Or cornbread. Or fried chicken. Or country fried steak and gravy. Or pecan pie. Or fried fish and cheese grits.

You get the picture.

So, in order to continue scanning the globe (or at least the Southeastern US) in search of good times, and even better food, I'm choosing to get off my southeastern quadrant. I've participated in two 5k races, added more fresh fruit and vegetables to the diet and I'm exercising regularly.

At least as regularly as someone this irregular can do anything. 

So here's an official ABG workout to burn off good food accumulations and enable you to fit through the kitchen door without rubbing worn spaces on the doorframe.

There's a small parking area on Branham Ave, just across the South Broad bridge. I get out of the car, lock the door and cross the street. I'm already arguing with myself about what is about to happen. If there really were gypsies living under the bridge, they'd be frightened by such violent (and apparently unaccompanied) conversation. I walk on to the steps and look up.

"The backside of the hill ain't nearly that steep". "Yeah, and it's not nearly as wide as your backside. Now, get yours up those steps!"

So, up I go.

And up....

They aren't really made for running. Which makes them great for running. Add the fact that one bad mistake makes for a rapid descent and you are well motivated.

I stop at the top to catch my breath. 

The morning sun lights the way.

But I'm not getting any slimmer standing at the Confederate Monument so I start trotting toward the backside of the hill. The Judge (frequent ABG "contributor", Augustus R. Wright) snickers at me as I jog past. Being a Berry alum-in-law, Alfred Shorter and I aren't exactly on speaking terms but Charles Norton cheers me on. 

Around a curve, down some steps past Von Gammon (Dang Good Dawg) and there's the fountain.

And I retrace my steps back to the car. It's a short workout, but strenuous enough at my fitness level. There's also many terraces and steps to customize this to any fitness level. The scenery is beautiful year round and The Judge really won't laugh at you when you jog by. 

Here's hoping that the best way to stay out of the cemetery is to run through the cemetery.