Union Baptist Church, Harris County, Georgia

Yesterday was my second trip to Columbus, Georgia in three weeks. I was traveling north on Georgia Highway 129 in Harris County when I stopped at Union Baptist Church. The church was established in 1838.

Drive Through Museum

World's First Drive through Museum

Green Family Vacation 2014: Panama City Beach

Headed south on US 431 I found a geocache at this locality north of Seale in Russell County, Alabama. One of the oddest places I have ever seen.

Grave of George Disney

Date of Visit: July 5, 2014

Location:

Dalton, Whitfield, Georgia

Lat            34.644501      

Long              -84.389847

This grave is located near the end of the George Disney Trail in Dalton, Georgia. This trail ascends Rocky Face Mountain to a location referred to as Buzzard Roost. The trailhead for this trail is behind the State Trooper Post on Highway 41. This is an awesome hiking trail. It is also step in some places. My GPS had the altitude in the parking lot as 913 feet above sea level. The grave is at 1492 feet. I am not sure of the distance of the hike. We missed the grave going up and we hiked quite a ways out Rocky Face Ridge.  We were very tired when we returned to the truck.

Inscription:

In Memory of George Disney

Co K 4 KY Inft

Killed

Feb 24 1864

Erected By

Dalton Boy Scouts

1912

George’s Story was well documented in 1898 by Ed Thomson Porter in The History of the Orphan Brigade. The following is taken verbatim from pages 238 and 239

A Singular Death.

In February, 1864, Rocky Face Ridge was occupied by Johnston as a signal station. The Fourth Kentucky was so deployed as to form a living telegraph line from the valley next

to Dalton to the top and front face of the Ridge at a point where, next to the Federals, the ascent was perpendicular. From the top of this ridge the Federal army was in full view. The next day after the formation of this line, there was a collision of the Federal and Confederate forces on the right of our line, and when the Federals would move, word was passed from man to man of the living telegraph, as, " Two more brigades advancing on such and such a point." The first night after the formation of the telegraph, the men slept at their posts. The next morning George Disney, a private of Company B, arose to a sitting posture, after a nights sleep on the top of this height in the open air, and was in the act of gaping, as many men are wont to do on first awaking. He was seen suddenly to resume his recumbent position, as though resolved to take another nap ; but after he hadbeen so lying for an hour or two, men who tried to wake him found that life had departed. A careful examination at the time disclosed no wound, and it was conjectured that he had died from failure of the heart or other disease. Later, another examination was made, andwhile washing the face of the corpse, the hair on the back of his head was found stiff from clotted blood ; and it was then clear that while gaping a minie ball from a Federal musket in the valley in front had entered the open mouth and crashed through the back of the head of the unfortunate soldier. He was a native of England. Virginius

Hutcfien, (Fourth Kentucky). ​

Historical Marker at State Trooper Post on US 41

Fossil Collecting in Morgan County, Alabama

Location:

US Highway 31

Decatur, St. Morgan County, Alabama

Lat            34.503147

Long        -86.967903

Date of Visit: May 25, 2014

Wow! It has been a long time since I actually stopped and looked for fossils. This is a road cut south of Decatur, Alabama. All fossils were very small. Still researching the location. 

Geocache 1300

Sunday Morning
January 19, 2014

I took my father to the big city of Jasper, Alabama for Sunday morning breakfast at Ryan's. While waiting for Ryan's to open so that we could gorge ourselves on fried ham, fried bacon, fried sausage, grits, gravy, and biscuits I found my 1300 Cache.

#1300 Patients and Patience  GC4A171

Chickamauga Visit December 31, 2013

Ushering in the new year with a visit to the battlefield. Started at first light at the intersections of Jay's Mill Road, Reed's Bridge Road, and the Brotherton Road. I photographed the following tablets in this area:

• Huwald's Tennessee Battery
• Pegram's Division
• Davidson's Brigade
• Polk's Brigade
• Johnson's Provisional Division
• Dibrells' Brigade
• Forrest's Calvary Corp                 

I continued down Jay's Mill Road toward Alexander's Mill Road and encountered the following tablets:

• Deshler's Brigade
• Wood's Brigade
• Cleburne's Division
• Walker's Division

A trip west on the Brotherton Road from jay's Mill Road brought me to a series of five-sided monuments stretching through the thick woods. I walked the trail to photograph monuments marking the location of the following on the morning of September 19, 1863:

• 10th Georgia Calvary
• 6th Georgia Calvary
• 1st General Calvary
• 25th Georgia 
• 29th Georgia Calvary

Other markers in the general location included Liddell's Brigade, Walthall's Brigade, Wilson's Brigade, and Fowler's Battery. 

My final survey was along the the Viniard-Alexander Road. Tablet's surveied included the following:

• Liddell's Division
• Walker's Reserve Corp
• Johnson's Division
• Longstreet's Corps
• Hood's Division
• McNair's Brigade
• Buckner's Corp
• Robertson's Brigade
• Hood's Division

Chickamauga National Battlefield Visit December 11, 2013

Ventured into the park on a very frosty morning. Along the LaFayette Road (US 27) I photographed tablets for Mangault's Brigade and Anderson's Brigade. Stopped at the Brotherton House and photographed this battlefield landmark and several other markers.

Chickamauga Visit November 12, 2013

Today I headed back to RESA for another workshop. I left pretty early so that I could visit the battlefield. I drove to the visitors center and photographs tablets fro Stovall's Brigade, Liddell's Brigade,  and Adam's Brigade. In the afternoon I drove down Alexander Bridge Road and logged tablets for Huggin's Tennessee battery and Walthalls' Brigade.

Walthall's Brigade is of great interest to me. My great-grandmother's father and several other ancestors were members of the 24th Mississippi Infantry. This was one of the regiments in Walthall's Brigade.

Chickamauga Visit September 26, 2013

Today I attended a workshop in Chickamauga, Georgia. After doing my due diligence in my class I decided I would drive through the Chickamauga National Battlefield in Walker County, Georgia. I stopped at a couple of spots. I visited the Dyer Cemetery on the Dyer Road. The only makers on the low knoll are local sandstone rocks. I crossed the Lafayette Road (U.S. 27) and took the Brotherton Road east. I stopped at a location and photographed a tablet for Maney's Brigade and I visited Smith's Mississippi Battery.

Drive home it dawned on me that we have lived 35 miles from this battlefield for over 15 years and I know little or nothing about the battle. I have the opportunity to try to understand what happened at this battle.

I need a plan!