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