USA > Georgia > Jones County > History of Jones County, Georgia, for one hundred years, specifically 1807-1907 > Part 11
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Iverson was not only fighting for the South, not only for Georgia, but he was fighting for Jones county, in which he was born. He must destroy the enemy who was now upon his native soil. His whole force seems to have become infused with his spirit.
Iverson knew nothing of what had occurred at Macon; he knew nothing of the fear of a cavalry attack in the rear from the direction of Macon, which was in every Yankee's heart. He and his men felt that on them and on them only depended the defeating of Stoneman's forces.
Iverson's artillery fire and the rifle fire of his sharpshooters were covering the field with dead and wounded. Stoneman's artillery was running short of ammunition. Seeing that his men were utterly demoralized and could not withstand the onslaughts of Iverson's men, Stoneman became desperate and apparently determined to die on the field. He had disobeyed his commander in not attacking Wheeler at Lovejoy, and may have heard of the disastrous defeats administered by Wheeler to the others. He had failed in his attack on inferior forces at Macon. And, now, his entire army was on the verge of destruciton. He re- solved upon last effort to break through.
It was now in the afternoon (July 31, 1864). Stoneman or- dered every available man into line of battle except one regiment held in reserve. Again the lines of blue swept forward, again they met a withering fire. This time Iverson's men hurled them- selves forward in a charge, uttering the blood-curdling rebel yell
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and with such impetuosity that nothing could withstand them. Stoneman's right and left wing became panic stricken, throwing down their rifles and dashing towards where their horses were stationed, so hotly pursued by Iverson's men that many of the horses were lost to the pursuers who mounted and continued to charge on federal horses. With the exception of 500 men, who remained under the direct command of Stoneman, the battle became an utter rout with every man for himself and the devil take the hindermost.
Stoneman, himself, determined not to surrender but ordered what few who still stuck by him to continue the battle, For some time this was done, enabling those who fled to get a start on Iverson's men. His artillery was now silent, its ammunition ex- hausted. Only a few cartridges remained for his riflemen, but still Stoneman insisted that they fight on. Finally, the few officers remaining with him, gathered about him and told him that it was useless to sacrifice these brave men; that the others had made their escape; that further fighting was suicide for all of them. Their pleas prevailed; the white flag was raised; and Stoneman with five hundred of his command surrendered.
Upon the surrender, Iverson sent Breckenridge to pursue those who had fled and he captured and killed a number, the remainder breaking into small parties and making their way the best they could back to Sherman's army. Iverson carried Stoneman and those who surrendered to Macon, where in a few months Stoneman was exchanged. Gen. Iverson is said to have been a classmate of Stoneman's in Military School.
Gen. George Stoneman's Letter to Gen. Sherman From "War of the Rebellion," Series I, Part II,
Volume XXXVIII
Page 914 To Major Gen. Sherman
Macon, Ga. August 16, 1864 Prisoner of War
General :
I wish to say now through the medium of flag truce . . . is in regard to how a small portion of my command became prisoners of war. Before I had completed what I desired to
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accomplish, I learned that a force of the enemy calvary was close upon my rear, the only thing I could do was to turn and whip this force. This I think we could have done had my com- mand fought as it ought to and as I hoped it would have done. Without entering into particulars-WE WERE WHIPPED and this principally on account of the bad conduct of the Ken- tucky Brigade in the attack during the forenoon and in fact throughout the day. In the afternoon the enemy attacked us, when Capron's Brigade gave way at once and was followed by Adams (Kentucky Brigade) leaving me with Biddle's In- diana Brigade and the section of artillery to contend against the whole force of the enemy, and cover the retreat of the remainder of my force. A portion of this Brigade, I sent to hold a crossroad and keep the enemy from getting between me and the main force, pack train, etc. This also gave way and followed the rest, so that near the end of the day, I found myself with about 200 of the 5th Indiana Cavalry and the section of the artillery. This regiment had been struggling the whole day previously. I insisted on fighting to the last, but the officers with me protested that being without ammunition and surrounded our escape was impossible and we must surrender. To extricate the section of artillery and men was impossible- and that in justice to all we should surrender. My own horse had been shot under me and I was scarcely able to mount the worn-down one and the only one I could find to replace the one I had lost and our chances of escape were so small that I con- sented to be taken prisoners of war, and as such our treatment has been everything that could be expected. Our loss in killed and wounded was quite large. I understand from captured fugi- tives that they were informed that I had surrendered the whole command and that the order was given for everyone to save himself. I have not heard from the Kentucky Brigade since it left. Capron's Brigade was considerably cut up and several hundred captured. I feel better satisfied with myself to be a prisoner of war, as much as I hate it, than amongst those who owe their escape to considerations of self-preservation.
I am very respectfully, George Stoneman
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P.S. Col. Capron and six men came in August 8, 1864 and Capt. Bell of 11 Ky. Cal.
Records of the Union and Conf. Armies-Series L. Part- Re- ports.
Marker of the Battle of Sunshine Church
The marker near the site of the Battle of Sunshine Church states that the church was 440 yards south of the marker but it is really only about fifty yards south of marker, as with the help of reliable men of the vicinity we located the spring and church site where bits of slate in the earth from the slates used in the old field school there may still be found. Just north of this old church on another hill is the site of the old Hascall house which was used as a hospital. Not a vestige of the house remains but the deep well overgrown with blackberry bushes and trees is there, two gnarled old pear trees, many rows of May narcissus in the yard were still in bloom this spring and currant bushes after one hundred years and one side of the tremendous oak still shows the injury of the fire when the house burned later. These are the words on the marker: "On July 31, 1864, Federal Cavalry commanded by Major General Stoneman having been driven from Dunlap's Farm near Macon retreated to Sunshine Church, 440 yards south of here. Gen. Stoneman formed his whole command in line of battle on the hill 200 yards east on Samuel Gordon's farm. The site is called Stoneman's Hill. Confederate forces under Gen. Alfred Holt Iverson charged his position. After heavy fighting, Gen. Stoneman surrendered and was taken to Camp Ogle- thorpe, Macon and imprisoned, until exchanged in September."
A clipping from Mrs. Carolyn Harrell from Macon states that her grandfather, Major R. R. Lawton was in this battle. He was a first honor graduate of Charleston Military Academy in 1862 and a Cavalryman. He was in Gen. Alfred Iverson's Brigade until the close of the war and died Jan. 13, 1892.
All of the oldtimers have told that the Yankees killed at Sunshine Church and in the vicinity were buried in the deep ravine nearby. Ovid Childs says that, as a boy, he remembered plowing in the bottom lands just south of Stoneman's Hill (this was 30 years later) and had picked up brass spurs of Cavalry-
Brig .- Gen. Alfred Iverson, C.S.A., Clinton, Ga. (Courtesy of Col. Thomas Spencer.)
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men until he had a bucket full. Several old men in the vicinity says all of their boyhood they had picked up lead bullets for miles around and used them as sinkers on their fishing lines. The author has a Yankee rifle, two cannon balls an unexploded shell, several lead 50 calibre bullets and a Confederate sword from this battle.
Another Account of the Battle of Sunshine Church
Stoneman was retreating from Macon through Clinton and skirmishing was taking place every few minutes. He decided to make a stand at old Sunshine Church near Round Oak. He placed his troops near the gaunt old log meeting house which was also used as a school. The church gave the battle its name, "Sunshine." Gen Stoneman wheeled up his guns and drew his men into fighting formation and told them to fight. Through the tangles of honeysuckle vines, over the little branches and through the pine covered red hills the Confederates came swinging in and the battle was on. This was on Sunday, July 31, 1864, and the day was hot and sultry. The old spring near the sight must have quenched the thirst of both Federals and Confederates as the ground was exchanged several times. At last step by step the Yankees fell back and looked with horror on the dreadful wounds which shell and rifle bullets can make in human flesh. Somehow both sides found the courage to hang on, until the sun was sinking into a red bank of clouds, then Gen. Stoneman believing that he was surrounded by more sol- diers than there really was, ran up the white flag and surrend- ered. He and 500 men were carried to Macon to prison.
Letter from B. C. Ward
On April 26, 1939 Mrs. Sophie Howard Myrick was given this information by B. C. Ward the last surviving veteran of Baldwin County. The occasion was the Confederate Memorial exercises and B. C. Ward was then 92 years old. He died the following Feb. 29, 1940. This is the letter B. C. Ward wrote in a bold clear script. He was the only surviving Confederate sol- dier fighting in the Battle of Sunshine Church.
"I joined the army at fifteen years of age in the spring of 1863, Co. H, 1st Kentucky Cavalry, Williams' Brigade, Dibril's Division, Wheeler's Corps under Joseph E. Johnson. I was with
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HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
Williams' Brigade when we escorted Pres. Davis from Greens- boro to Charlotte, N. C. From there we went back to Wash- ington, Ga. where I was paroled after Lee's surrender. I was in the battle of Sunshine Church. There were between 600 and 700 men of William's Brigade when we crossed the river above Macon at Popes and Dames Ferry. We were looking for the Yankees we had heard were in the vicinity, plundering and burn- ing. We found them near Round Oak and there was a hot battle around and in the vicinity of Sunshine Church, on Sunday July 31, 1864. They had been deceived as to our number and sur- rendered to our commander Col. W. C. Breckinridge, with little resistance considering their number and the artillery. About 500 men were captured with Gen. George Stoneman. General Alfred Iverson from Jones County was there with his brigade. We captured 3,000 horses which they had taken as they passed through the countryside. After we had captured them, we sent them back to Butts County and they mounted Lewis's Kentucky Brigade of Infantry after Sherman had passed through. We lost a few men and some were wounded but the Yankee wounded and killed were considerable. Signed, B. C. Ward, Milledgeville, Ga., April 26, 1939."
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Photostatic copy of permit for whiskey for wounded Federal prisoners left at the home of Francis Hascall near Round Oak. (Courtesy of Col. Thomas Spencer.)
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HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY
More War History - -- S. H. Griswold - - - Stoneman's Raid
Since writing about Stoneman's raid and his capture at old Sunshine Church near Round Oak, I have been informed by Francis Green, that he was at his father's place, between Round Oak and Five Points on a furlough and a paroled prisoner. Up- on hearing that the Yankee raiders were coming he mounted his horse and rode up to Round Oak where he met them. They halted him and as he rode off shot at him, striking his saddle but didn't hit him.
When Stoneman returned from Macon with his command, he was met at Round Oak by Wheeler's Cavalry, which was pur- suing him. I think Col. Clews was in immediate command of them but Iverson was the Brigadier. As soon as Green heard that the Confederate cavalry was after them, he met them at the Oak. He says the skirmishing began there, and that the Confederate battery or one cannon was under the old oak, and they gradually drove them back through the Frank Hascall place to the line which Stoneman occupied near Sunshine church. When he got to the road near Round Oak, he met a Confederate Cap- tain with about 25 cavalrymen, who asked if he lived here and if he knew the country. He said that he knew every pig path. So he was asked to lead them around the Yankee line and bring him into the road from Clinton in the rear of the Yankees. He told them he could, that he was a member of Co. B, 12th Ga. Regiment at home wounded and on parole and it would be death for him if caught, however he would go of his own accord and do what he could.
They set off at a fast gait, he led them around Ben Green's, by the old Butts place, the Luke Mercer place and came into the Clinton road at Wayside, where Jonathan Holmes lived and there at the well were several Yankees drinking water. The Con- federates charged them running up the road to Sunshine Church, as hard as they could go, Green and the others following shoot- ing and yelling. The Yankees believed a large force from the direction of Clinton was coming. They reported to Gen. Stone- man and he believed it, and that he was completely surrounded, so he put up the white flag, and in a few minutes the command
Captain F. S. Johnson, Jr., C.S.A., Clinton, Ga. (Macon Volunteers)
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was surrendered. Some of them got out of the V and went toward Athens, but most of them were captured near Sunshine Church.
Green at the risk of being killed in the fight or of meeting a worse death if captured as a paroled prisoner contributed more toward the capture of Stoneman than any other individual. He hated to violate his parole but he could not see his home attacked and not do his part regardless, and I think he deserves some kind of recognition from his state.
John, Zack, and Bill Ussery and Hazel Caldwell in the upper part of the county enlisted in the Gray Company Jones County which became Co. F, 45th Ga. Regiment. They were under Capt. Bonner, made good soldiers and were as brave as they come. They were in the seven days' fighting around Richmond. Hazel Caldwell was killed. Hal Christian belonged to John Morgan's Cavalry in his raids through Kentucky and Tennessee.
Plans were made at the old William Jones house (first court- house), to capture Gen. George Stoneman and men, and later carried out near Round Oak at Sunshine Church on lands of Samuel Gordon the grandfather of Col. Gordon Green and others.
Sherman's March to the Sea
The 17th Army Corps' March through Hillsboro-thence to Feeney's-about 7 miles northeast of Sunshine Church-there on November 20th. Thence through Gordon.
The 15th Army Corps-under Osterhaus-marched by way of Hillsboro-there on the 19th of November, 1864-and thence to Clinton, where on Sunday, November 20th, Wheeler marching (riding) suddenly discovered Osterhaus in Clinton- and almost captured him-did steal an enlisted man acting as the servant for Osterhaus.
The 15th Corps marched over the same route as taken by Stoneman in July-Hillsboro to Clinton, etc.
The 115th Corps engaged at Griswoldville-November 22nd.
(Col. Thomas Spencer. )
Sherman's forces were at Eatonton, Nov. 20, 1864, on Nov. 23, 1864 at Milledgeville.
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Lieut. J. A. Walker's Record Co. B, 12th Georgia Regiment
Lieut. J. A. Walker of Jones County was in as many battles as any man in the war of 1861-65. He lists some of the battles in which he was engaged as follows: (copied from his letters )
Battle of Green Briar River, Oct. 5, 1861. Gen. Henry Jack- son commanding, Confederate victory. Battle of Alleghany Mt., Dec. 13, 1861, Gen. Ed Johnson commanding, Confederate victory. In this battle the enemy captured part of the quarters of the 12th Ga. Reg. Henry Hunt in passing a wounded Yankee threatened to kill him but Captain Hardeman said, "If you do I'll cut off your head with my sword." The next battle was "Mc- Dowell," May 8, 1862, Stonewall Jackson commanding; Con- federate victory, my company lost 13 men in this battle and I got a bullet hole through my hat.
Port Royal, May 23, 1862. Jackson commanding; Confed- erate victory. Winchester, May 25, 1862, Jackson commanding; Confederate victory. Cross Keys, June 8, 1862, Jackson com- manding; Confederate victory. Port Republic, June 9, 1862, Jackson commanding; Confederate victory. The Twelfth Ga. was sent to the extreme right of our line, over a mountain path, to reinforce Gen. Taylor's Louisiana Brigade, which was having a hand to hand fight over a Yankee Battery posted on the moun- tain side. This battery was captured and lost three times, but finally held by the Confederates. I was in the Battle around Richmond, June 25 to July 1, 1862 (Seven Days), Gen. R. E. Lee commanding ; Confederate victory. Next came Cedar Moun- tain, August 9, 1862, Gen. Stonewall Jackson commanding ; Con- federate victory. My comrade from Jones County W. R. Chris- tian lost him arm. Next came the Battle of Manassas, August 28, 29, and 30, 1862, Gen. R. E. Lee commanding ; Confederate victory. Captain Isaac Hardeman was captured and sent to the old Capitol prison in Washington. Two of the best men in the Company were killed, Stewart and Branam. Stewart had 14 wounds, we drove General Pope's army with headquarters in his saddle from the field.
Chantilla, September 5, 1865, General Lee commanding; Con- federate victory. Harper's Ferry, Sept. 14, 1862, Gen. Jackson
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commanding, Confederate victory. I witnessed the surrender of the garrisons, 14,000. On the march from Harper's Ferry to Sharpsburg, Van Clark and Dick Curry stole a duck, picked about half the feathers off, cooked it and then had a fight over it. Next came Sharpsburg, Md. Sept. 17, 1862, Gen. Lee com- manding; drawn battle. Lieuts. Henderson, Fennel, Stripling and Hunt were killed, and Beall was severely wounded. Hunt was killed 30 yards in front of the company, he was the bravest of the brave. A shell exploded in front of me wounding the file on my right, Renfro and Gibson and a comrade were shot dead at my feet. The cannonading and musket fire were terrific; the ground seemed to tremble beneath our feet.
Fredericksburg, Dec. 1862, Gen Lee commanding; Confed- erate victory. I was shot through the hat and wounded in the side. One side of Lieut. Wilcoxton's hat was shot off. Pender, Brantley and Curry were killed, many of the company were wounded.
Chancellorsville, May 12 and 13, 1863, Confederate victory. Captain Beall was sent to the front to reconnoiter and came upon the Yankees. Abe James from Jones County shot at one at close quarters, missed him and turned cooly to Captain Beall and said : "I'm damned if I didn't miss him." At the same time minie balls and grapeshot were flying around too thick to be healthy or pleasant. The shells set fire to the woods. I saw a number of wounded with their hands and feet burned off.
Gettysburg, Pa. July 1, 2, and 3, 1863, Corporal Clard, a fine boy and a gallant soldier was killed, many of the company were wounded amidst the awful roar of shot and shell. I heard my name feebly called, and saw a comrade in the agony of death, he tried to tell me to tell his mother and sister something but passed on before he could finish. Our skirmishers were stationed in and behind the houses in the town and as I stepped into a house three of the skirmishers were shooting at a battery on Cemetery Hill. As I heard a terrific explosion and looked back a shell had hit the building and exploded and all three were killed.
Battle of Mine Run, Nov. 1863, General Lee commanding; Confederate victory, R. W. Brindley was killed. While we were eating breakfast around the camp fires, the enemy opened fire
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and every man was quickly behind the breastworks except John Roberts who remained coolly eating his hardtack and drinking coffee. The Negro cook had run into the brush heap to avoid the shells.
During the Battle of the Wilderness which took place May 5-6, 1864 under Lee's command, my attention was frequently attracted in battle to the daring and courage of Col. Isaac Har- deman, Capt. Beall, R. J. Smith, Pendor, Van Clark, Hunt, Abe James, Gantt, Renfro, Gibson, Moore, F. F. Green, John Glover, Dave Middlebrooks, Whidby and others. They faced the enemy with unflinching courage. Smith was the coolest soldier I ever saw in battle. Napoleon would have made him a Marshal.
I was engaged in 31 battles. At Sharpsburg, Md. (Antietam) we were being forced back by hard licks from heavy battalion. "Stonewall" Jackson passed the regiment and said to Captain Carson : "Stand firm, Captain, I know this 12th Georgia. Every one of them are men of the finest caliber and heroes." We held our ground until reinforced and then the command was, "Fix bayonets ! Charge !" I heard General Ewell say the same thing. to the regiment at Malvern Hill.
Lieut. Walker wrote this letter to Captain R. W. Bonner at Clinton. Lieut. James A. Walker lived at Round Oak for many years and is buried there. The Ed Willis Camp, U.C.V. erected a tall shaft and dedicated it to Walker's valiant services. He enlisted May of 1861 and after 31 engagements was paroled June 17, 1865. He commanded the sharp shooters of Doles Cook Brigade. After the 2nd Battle of Manassas he was award- ed the Lee Medal for gallantry at Chancellorsville. He married, Miss Turk and had two sons; Luther and Jamie Walker. By the side of Lt. J. A. Walker of the C.S.A. rests J. W. Turk who was a Confederate spy. He had four horses shot from under him, and had told people in Round Oak of his narrow escapes and thrilling encounters many times. He married Cordelia Sin- gleton and had two children; Robert J. Turk who served in W.W.1 and Nelle Turk Patterson.
The Stoneman Raid
This is the copy of a chapter of Sherman's Brigade from the book, "The Story of Sherman's Brigade," by Wilbur F. Hinman, -
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a Lieut .- Col. of the 65th Ohio Regiment. (By courtesy of Col. Thomas Spencer of Atlanta, Ga.)
Chapter LXXVI
(Page 895)
A Circuit south of Atlanta-After the Rebel Lines of Supply - Stoneman's Division Reaches Macon - Encounters Gen. Wheeler-Battle of Sunshine Church-The Squadron Sacrificed to Save Others-Half of its Men Killed Wounded or Captured -Experiences of those who Escaped-Some Interesting Per- sonal Incidents-The Squadron Rides Into Atlanta-
We now come to what is known as "Stoneman's raid," during which the squadron was hit hard. The object of the expedition was to destroy the rebel line of supplies by cutting the railroad leading from Macon to Atlanta. Stoneman with four thousand cavalry on the left, McCook, with two thousand on the right, received orders to move around Atlanta, Stoneman by McDon- ough, and McCook by Fayetteville, thence to converge rapidly so as to arrive simultaneously at Lovejoy's Station, thirty miles south of Atlanta. McCook started according to instructions, reached Fayetteville, where he destroyed a rebel wagon train and took two hundred and fifty prisoners. Thence he marched to Lovejoy where he arrived at the designated time, and proceeded to destroy the railroad at that point. Stoneman did not appear, but Wheeler did. Therefore on the 29th, McCook moved in the only direction left open by the enemy, to the southwest. At New- nan he was checked by a force of rebel infantry, until the pur- suers closed in around the rear. McCook however succeeded in cutting his way out, with a loss of five hundred men, and re- turned to Marietta.
"McLaughlin's Squadron belonged to the column of Stoneman, which had been concentrated on the left of the Union line, near Decatur and from that point passed around Atlanta to the east- ward. The following of the squadron's adventures is a composite story compiled from the accounts furnished by Sergeant Pom- eroy, Sergeant Morris and bugler Everly.
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