Confederate Soldier

Confederate Soldier: William H. H. Walters

Cemetery: Pisgah Baptist Church
Location:
N 34º 15.411 W 085 º 20.516
Hwy 20
Coosa, Floyd County, Georgia

Date Visited: 10/27/2008

Inscriptions:

Capt. William H. H. Walters
Co. H 18th Ga. Inf.
CSA


Discussion:
William H. H. Walters enrolled in the Rowland Highlander’s as a private in June of 1861. The Rowland Highlanders was one of ten companies in a new regiment raised by Major J. Johnson and Adjutant John Griffin from Bartow County, Georgia. This new regiment was designated as the First Regiment, Fourth Brigade, Georgia State Volunteers. The regiment began training at Camp McDonald in Big Shanty, Georgia. In August the regiment departed Georgia for Richmond, Virginia. After a six day train trip the men of the Rowland Highlander’s disembarked in Richmond on August 9, 1861. After arriving in Richmond the regiment was mustered into the Confederate States Army as the 18th Georgia Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. At this time the Highlander’s were designated as Company H. In November the 18th Georgia was brigaded with the 1st , 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments. This Texas Brigade would play a prominent role in the battles of the Army of Northern Virginia.

As a member of Company H of the 18th Georgia Infantry Captain Walters served through out the war. It was noted that he was injured while on detail at Sharpsburg, Maryland on September 19, 1862. The nature of this injury is not known. The date indicates that the injury occurred after the Battle of Antietam. Nothing is mentioned about any action taking place on this date in the after battle reports of General John Bell Hood (Division Commander), Colonel William T. Wofford (Commanding the Texas Brigade), or Colonel S. Z. Ruff (Commanding the 18th Georgia Infantry). Captain Walters was appointed 1st Sergeant in March of 1864 and Second Lieutenant in October of the same year. There is no record of his promotion to Captain. He appears on the roll of the regiment on January 31, 1865.


Sources

Official Record of the War of the Rebellion, Part II Record of Events, Vol. 6, p. 447

Roster of Confederate Soldiers of Georgia, 1861-1865, Volume 2, p.679

18th Georgia Regiment of Volunteers Infantry, http://www.angelfire.com/va3/southernrites/18thga.html#org, accessed December 25, 2008.

Confederate Soliders

Confederate Soldier: A. J. Bale and C.R. Bale

Cemetery: Sardis Presbyterian Cemetery
Location:
N 34º 15.940 W 085 º 22.707
Hwy 20
Coosa, Floyd County, Georgia

Date Visited: 10/27/2008

Inscriptions:

A.F. Bale, Maj. 6th Regt. Geo. Cav.
Born near Goshen, Ala. July 29, 1839
Killed near Dandridge, Tenn. Dec. 24, 1863

C.R. Bale, Lt. Co. H 6th Regt. Geo. Cav.
Born near Goshen, Ala. July 25, 1837
Killed near Resaca, Geo. May 13, 1864


Discussion:

Alfred and Charles Bale were the sons of John and Pheba Bale of Goshen, Alabama. This family was enumerated in Beat 4 of the 1850 Randolph County, Alabama Census. This family appears to have moved near Rome, Georgia. The records show that the brothers Alfred and Charles joined the Confederate Army. Alfred was soon elected First Lieutenant of Company G of Smith’s Calvary Legion on May 8, 1862. Later he would be named Captain of a company in this unit. In March of 1863 Company G became Company G of the 6th Georgia Calvary Regiment. At this time Alfred Bale was named Major of the Regiment.

In December of 1863 Major Bale and the 6th Georgia Calvary was brigaded with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Georgia Calvary Regiments under the command of Colonel C. C. Crews. The brigade, as a part of Longstreet’s Calvary, was in operations north of Knoxville, Tennessee. On Christmas Eve morning Col. A.P Campbell’s Union Calvary was in a sharp engagement with Longstreet’s Calvary at Hay’s Ferry near Dandridge Tennessee.
Crew’s Brigade found themselves in the rear of the Union Calvary. Two regiments, apparently one being the 6th Georgia Calvary, pushed out and captured battery. With no support they were soon compelled to retreat leaving Major Bale dead on the field. J. W. Minnich later described Bale’s death in The Confederate Veteran for February of 1925:

In attempting to swing around the left of the breastworks and within ten paces of it, our major, Alfred Bale, fell from his horse, shot through the head. We mourned his loss deeply. He was a man of deeply religious nature, quiet, and gentlemanly, and quite popular with all

Later Crew’s Brigade fighting dismounted forced the Union Calvary to retreat.

Charles R. Bale was a Lieutenant in Company H of the 6th Georgia Calvary. His death near Resaca occurred on May 13, 1864. There is no official recording of Lieutenant Bale’s death. The following was cobbled together from Official Reports of both Confederate and Union officers for May 13, 1864. This day was the eve of the Battle of Resaca. It is a day marked by skirmishes as the two armies reached out to test each other as Union forces maneuvered into position to crush the retreating Confederate Army. At some point in the day Colonel Hart, commander of the 6th Georgia Calvary, sent word to a Major West in Calhoun that the enemy had occupied the bridge on the opposite side of the river. General Iverson identified this point as being about two miles from Resaca. This is assumed to be the bridge on the road from Resaca to Calhoun that crosses the Oostanaula River. Colonel Hart is very direct in surmising that if the enemy is successful then his position along the river will become untenable. In response to Colonel Hart’s report General W.H. T. Walker is commanded to send a brigade of infantry and a battery to support Colonel Hart. As to the death of Lieutenant Bale it is speculated that the aforementioned position of the 6th Georgia probably resulted in some sort of skirmish in which he was killed.

Sources

Official Record of the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 31, p. 545
Official Record of the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 38, p. 706-708
Randolph County, Alabama 1850 Census, Beat 4
Roster of Confederate Soldiers of Georgia, 1861-1865, Volume 2
The Affair at Hay’s Ferry, J.W. Minnich, Confederate Veteran, Vol. XXXIII, Feb. 1925.

Vaction 2008: Yellowstone National Park

Well we have been home several weeks and now it is August and we have started to school. I guess it is time to write about one of the greatest yondering adventures that we have had as a family or that I undertaken as an individual. Another reason is because I have took to revisiting via the Internet the places we visited over those incredible 15 days in June and July. I never thought that traveling 5375 miles with a near 3 year old, a bored 15 year old and a very interested 14 year old and a wife that would rather be at the beach would be so much fun. We left Calhoun at noon on June 20th and 8 days into the trip on June 27th we were treated to a site that literally millions have witnessed. At 10:40 AM in Yellowstone Park we saw Old Faithful erupt. It was an awesome site ....one of many that we would experience over those 15 days.

Day 11

4:45 Mountain Time
Rapid City, SD

We have covered over 3500 miles and we are still a long way from home. We saw the Presidents later yesterday afternoon and then saw them bathed in light. It was an inspiring sight!

Four dollar gas does not seem to be a big deal. We have been crowded at most of the sights we visited. Campgrounds we have passed have been full of tents and campers and most motels we have stayed in have been at capacity.

Day 11 will find us in a water park most of the day. We plan to visit Crazy Horse and Deadwood before striking out for Omaha on Tuesday.

Starting Day 3

We are a little over a thousand miles from home this morning. We have made it a Comfort Inn and Suite in Amarillo, Texas. We will strike out for the Four Corners this morning. We have seen some wonderous sights!!!

Preparing for a Serious Yondering Spell

Friday at noon we will embark on our family vacation. This is an ambitious trip with highlights including the Grand Canyon, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone, Little Big Horn, Mt. Rushmore, a nocturnal animal indoor zoo in Omaha and home via the Gateway Arch. We are planning on 14 days on the road. I hope to be able to blog as we go west -- this is yet to be seen.

Skirmish at Farmer's Bridge

May 21, 2008
Cemetery of Interest

Location:
N 34º 22.087 W 085 º 10.300
New Armurchee Baptist Church Cemetery
Floyd County, Georgia

The ten tombstones arranged in a slight arc mark the resting place of 9 privates and the Captain of Company G of the 12th Alabama Calvary Battalion. According to the epitaph on a nearby monument these men were killed on May 19, 1864 as they held the ground at nearby Farmer's Bridge against an overwhelming force of Union Calvary. . The dead included Captain William T. Lokey, Private B. Brown, Pvt. A.D. Turren, Private P.W. Ward, Private J.J. Morgan, Private Benjamin Garrett, Private Cullen Porter, Private W.H. Ellis, and Private Thomas Barnard. During this engagement six men were also captured. Privates Joel Weems and Edwin P. Morris would die in the U.S. Military Prison in Alton Illinois and Private Joseph Harper would die in a POW camp in Douglas, Illinois. Privates J. Brown, J.M. Robertson, and Marcus Formby were eventually released from their captivity.

Colonel Robert H. G. Minty’s after action report in The Official Record of the War of the Rebellion Series 1, Volume 38 report described the skirmish at Farmer’s Bridge:

HDQRS. FIRST BRIGADE, SECOND CAVALRY DIVISION, John's Creek, Ala., May 16, 1864.
CAPTAIN: At 5 a. m. yesterday, the 15th instant, I marched from camp on Dry Creek. At about 8 a. m. my advance struck the enemy's pickets near Farmer's Bridge, on Armuchee Creek, and drove them in. The advance vedettes and a few of my scouts charged over the bridge, but the advance guard having halted to allow the column time to close up they were not supported, and consequently were driven back with 1 killed and 4 horses wounded. On my arrival at the bridge I sent scouts to examine the creek to the right and left. Bad fords were reported both above and below. I crossed two companies of Fourth Michigan Cavalry below and six companies above. I then crossed with the other battalion of the Fourth Michigan, followed by the Seventh Pennsylvania, the Fourth United States following the six companies of the Fourth Michigan across the upper ford. Captain Lokey, Twelfth Alabama Cavalry, was mortally wounded, and 9 men killed. We took 6 prisoners. I pushed forward rapidly to within three miles of Rome, where the enemy, in considerable force and holding a strong position, made a stand, showing four pieces of artillery. They at the same time moved strong columns on both my flanks. Immediately in my rear the Dalton road joins the Rome road-the one on which I had advanced. I, therefore, fell back to a position north of the junction of the roads. Here Lieutenant-Colonel Park, commanding Fourth Michigan Cavalry, reported that a column of infantry was moving around my left; at same time Smith's brigade of cavalry was discovered on my right. I fell back to Farmer's Bridge, where I reported to General Garrard. The rebels followed me up closely. Four times they charged the battalion of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, which formed the rear guard. They were received dismounted, and handsomely repulsed. During the entire day's skirmishing the Fourth Michigan was the only regiment engaged.
My entire loss was 3 men wounded, 1 severely, 1 slightly, and 1 man taken prisoner.
From all the information I could gain there are two divisions of cavalry and one of infantry at Rome, under Generals Jackson, Ross, and Smith. Some of the citizens state positively that Forrest arrived at Rome on the evening of the 14th. The Atlanta paper of the 13th, which I gave the general this morning, places Forrest at Tupelo, Miss. It also states that Lieutenant-General Polk is en route for Rome, where he will command the reserve division of general Johnston's army. The scout this a. m. under Captain Garrett, Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, met the rebel pickets at the cross-roads near the bridge, and drove them across the creek, killing 1 and wounding another.
ROBT. H. G. MINTY,
Colonel, Commanding Brigade.
Captain KENNEDY,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Second Cavalry Division.

The history of the 12th Alabama Calvary was chronicled by Brewer in the 1872 book Alabama: Her History, Resources, War Record, and Public Men, From 1540 to 1872.
The 12th was organized from a battalion organized by Hundley of Madison County and Bennett of St.Clair County. After the battle in Chattanooga this battalion was reorganized by the addition of four companies. Captain Lokey’s Company G was raised in Cherokee County, Alabama and it is assumed that it was one of the four added at this time. Brewer states that at the time of the skirmish at Farmer’s Bridge the 12th Alabama was attached to Hagan’s Brigade of Wheeler’s Calvary. This action was a part of the 1864 retreat of Johnson Army from Chattanooga to Atlanta.

Historical Roadside Marker: Godfrey College and High School

Historical Roadside Marker
Location:

N 34º 05.505 W 087 º 23.619
State Hwy 195
Double Springs, Winston County, Alabama

Godfrey College and High School

Founded in 1880 by Robert Gold Isbell, President, alumnus of Vanderbilt University, under the jurisdiction of the Northern Alabama Methodist Conference, one mile west on the Cheatham Road at the town of Motes, Elijah Blanton, Hugh W. Isbell, W.R. Atkins, and Andrew J. Ingle, Trustees. Two-story college building and three-story dormitory burned in 1889. Abandoned in 1893.

Date Visited and/or Photographed: April 7, 2008

Notes:

The Isbell family was quite large and produced enough children to populate a school. According to Vicki Wheeler Paine, Hugh W. Isbell and Robert Gold Isbell were brothers. Their sister Mary Ann”Polly” Isbell married the Elijah Blanton mentioned as a trustee of the college. Polly and Elijah had ten children. Hugh and his wife Sallie Thompson had ten children also. Robert and his wife Emma Madora Andrews were not as productive. They had eight children. (Isbell-L Archive at Ancestory.com)

The school was built in a town then called Godfrey, later Motes. The school and town were located at the intersection of the Cheatham Road which connected Moulton and Tuscaloosa and the Houston-Columbus Highway five miles south of the present site of Double Springs, Winston County, Alabama. Neither road now exists. After the 1889 fire school continued in the Methodist Church, but the buildings were never rebuilt. In 1893 Robert Isbell bought the Farmer’s College in Millport Alabama. Most of the students followed Isbell to his new school
A very detailed history of the College may be found at AlGenWeb site for Winston County (http://wcgs.ala.nu/).

Reflections on Teaching My 15 -year old to Yonder

April 19, 2008: My beautiful 15 year old daughter is learning to drive. I have joined the ranks of generations of parents that have slid over to the passenger side and grabbed the door handle with white knuckles and jammed on non-existent brakes and they sucked in volumes of air through teeth that created a high pitch hissing sound. We went out driving and yondering three times today -- saw some nice road side markers and visited a couple of cemeteries. While the education the newest member of the driving world may be sometimes hazardous it does offer me an excuse to get out of the house and go see the world.

Historical Roadside Marker: Wise's Gap

Historical Roadside Marker
Location:

N 33º 53.975 W 088 º 19.978
US Highway 278
Monroe County, Mississippi

Wise’s Gap, 1816

The first community in N. Miss. Begun here by John Wise in 1816, had stores, a cemetery, a campground, a church called “Uncle Jimmy Wise’s Meetinghouse, a blacksmith shop in which the future Governor Tucker worked.


Date Visited and/or Photographed: April 5, 2008

Notes:

Governor Tucker mentioned here is the thirteenth governor of Mississippi Tilghman Tucker. Governor Tucker and his wife was the first couple to occupy the Mississippi Governors Mansion. Tucker was born February 2, 1802 in North Carolina. With his family he made the Carolina to Alabama to Mississippi migration that along the route took by many of our ancestors. He worked as a blacksmith at Wise’s Gap before reading law under Judge Daniel W. Wright in Hamilton in Monroe County. He opened his first law practice in Columbus and then in 1831 entered started a political career that would include stints in the Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate, a term as Governor, and one term in the United States Senate. He died April 3, 1855.

Source:
Sansing, David. At Mississippi History No, http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/, accessed April7, 2008

Catching Up

It has been several days since I blogged here. This does not mean that I have failed to travel around or do something not worthy of recording. It simply means that I am lazy!!! This post will catch me up on the Geocaches found.

March 6, 2008

#435 Old Bridge to Old Dixie (GC19AX9) - I was traveling on US 41 on my way to Adairsville to cover a soccer match when I found this one.

April 4, 2008 I was in Rome with the girls when I got the two following caches.

#436 Big Blue (GC195V4)
#437 Perfect Circle (GC19F2X)

April 5, 2008 - Big Yondering Trip: First leg of Calhoun to Sulligent, Alabama to Double Springs, Alabama.

#438 End of the Road (GC15ROJ)

April 6, 2008: Second leg of the Big Yondering Trip: Sulligent to Double Springs.

#439: Court Corner (GC12ZK4)

April 7, 2008: Last Leg of Big Yondering Trip: Home Stretch

#440 - You Can See the "Flea" (GC14VNQ)

Battle for Atlanta Road Marker: Dodge and Davis at Peek's Springs

February 22, 2008
Roadside Marker

Location:
N 34º 02.894 W 085 º 03.740
Hwy 101
Aragon, Polk County, Georgia

Dodge and Davis at Peek’s Spring

The spring 175 yds. E was the camping place of Major Gen. Greenville M. Dodge, 16 AC of McPherson’s Army of the Tennessee, May 23, 1864, enroute from the Etowah River to Dallas, Paulding County. May 24, Brig. Gen. J.C. Davis (2nd) div., 14th Corps, Army of Cumberland camped at the Spring, enroute from Rome to Dallas. These troops were part of the right wing of Sherman’s forces moving to outflank Johnston’s Army at Altoona. This resulted in 10 days of battle at New Hope Church and Dallas in Paulding County.

Geocaching Trip

February 22, 2008 - Traveled south of Rome to Aragon. Left Aragon and took a round the world cross road to Cedartown and then up 27 to Rome.

Picked up 5 caches along the way:

#430 The Battle of Midway
#431 Running Wild
#432 Big Barrel of Money
#433 Hey Batta, Batta, Batta
#434 They're Every Where