Page 17 - Walton Living

A Piece of Walton History Gerrard’s Calvary Raid
Located on US 78 and Ga 20 in
Loganville

Text on marker:
On July 20, 1864, Union forces under Maj.
Gen. W.T. Sherman, USA, were closing in
on Atlanta. Hq. 2nd Cavalry Division USA,
Brig. Gen Kenner Garrard, was in Decatur, 6
miles E of Atlanta. Garrard’s three brigades
were guarding bridges over the Chattahoochee
iver and picketing the left ank. That night,
Garrard was ordered to assemble his command
and march to Covington (18 miles S) to burn
the bridges over the Yellow and Ilcofauhachee
(Alcovy) Rivers and destroy the Georgia Rail-
road in that area.
He marched late on the 21st. Next morning
the destruction was begun. At Covington, he
burned the depot, a newly built hospital center,
2,000 bales of cotton, and large quantities of
quartermaster and commissary supplies. After
destroying 2 railroad and 4 wagon bridges, 3
trains and 6 miles of track, he turned north
toward Loganville, arriving here about noon
on July 23rd. East Spring Street at N. Madison
Avenue in Monroe.

After sending Minty’s brigade to Lawrencev-
ille (11 miles NW) on the same mission, Gar-
rard stripped this vicinity of horses and mules,
then marched back to Decatur, arriving on the
Roadside signs reveal county’s rich past 2 th. Garrards’s raid cut o all communication
between Atlanta and Augusta and destroyed
any hope that the Army of Tennessee (CSA)
-- hard-pressed defenders of Atlanta -- might
By Melanie Jackson receive supplies or reinforcements from the
Eastern Confederacy.

hen I was a child, a great family auto trip was Battle of Jack’s Creek
Wto pack up a picnic lunch, jump in the car and Located on US 78/Ga 10 in the
search for historical markers in our area. What fun we Hightower Trail
had! Of course, my parents knew where the markers northeast edge of Monroe Hightower Trail and Ga 11 in
were and drove in that direction but my sister and I Social Circle
had to spy them. At the end of the trip, whomever Unfortunately, this marker has been missing since the 1990s.
found the most got a prize (usually a dollar). riginally placed in1954. Text on marker:
Here in Walton County there are 11 Historic The principal battle of white settlers and Creek Indians
This road is a portion of Hightower Trail,
Markers that were given historical status by the U.S between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1813 - 14 left old Indian path to Etowah River, which ran
Government. on record was Clark’s fight near here at a branch called Jack’s from High Shoals of the Appalachee westward
Historical markers are very informative and educa- Creek, on Sept. 21, 1787. The attacking force of 130 whites,
tional. According to wikipedia, The National Trust for some distinguished veterans of the Revolution, was drawn up to Shallow Ford on the Chattahoochee. It
formed a boundary between Cherokee lands
Historic Preservation, through the National Register in three divisions: General Elijah Clark commended the center, to the north and Creek lands to the South.
of Historic Places, can bestow historical status. Major John Clark, his youthful son, later Governor of Georgia In 1817-21, it marked the Georgia frontier,
very popular markers and the text that is written on (1819 - 1823), commended the left wing, and Colonel Holman and was used by pioneer families settling this
each one Freeman commanded the right. section.
The oldest of the 11 markers was placed in 1925 by The Indians, thought to be some 800 in number were com-
On November 17th and 18th, 1864, the left
the DAR commemorating the Battle of Jack’s Creek pletely routed from their encampment, escaping in small par- wing of Sherman’s Army passed down this trail
with the most recent being that of the Moore’s Ford ties. The battle terminated in a brilliant victory for the whites. on its `march to the sea.
Lynching. Dr. Anthony Poulain attended the wounded at Jack`s Creek.

Walton Living Magazine 17