Yes, thank you, Mike. I dtold id some research last night and read many accounts of the story, and I now know it to be true, but of course, quite differently from the one we received on this List. I love history, and I am 100% in favor of history preservation, but I don't think the truth is popular these days (and to me, history should always be a factual statement of events). Apparently the sign will be erected with the story on it depicting the incident exactly as in the account sent to this List by the Augusta gentleman. If that is the case, I wouldn't bother to drive a mile to see such rubbish! (Wonder when they will start eerecting monuments in the South honoring and glorifying William T. Sherman? I understand that the attitude towards him is even changing!) Olivia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike & Nancy Ridgdill" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 11:50 PM Subject: [GAEMANUE] Fw: Civil War Trails - Six Heritage Trails EyedforCivilWar Anniversary > Like you, I don't believe everything I read in the AJC, either. But, > the incident at Ebenezer Creek is true, although it didn't happen quite > like > the gentleman from Augusta wrote (must not be from Georgia). The true > story > is that the slaves which followed the Union troops to Ebenezer Creek were > not freed slaves; they had simply left their homes, and started following > the Union troops, much to the chagrin of Jefferson C. Davis. After his > troops crossed Ebenezer Creek, Davis had the pontoon bridge removed so the > slaves could not follow. When the slaves saw what was happening, they > panicked. A number of those in front jumped into the water, and swam > across. Those in front who could not swim ran up and down the creek bank > looking for a place to cross. However, the slaves in the rear could not > see > what was going on up front, and kept pushing forward, which caused those > who > could not swim, along with women and children, to be pushed into the swift > current of the creek, and many drowned. When the Confederate cavalry > approached, they fired shots at the Union troops who had just crossed. > This > caused further panic, and many more slaves were pushed into the water. Of > the approx. 650 slaves following the Union soldiers, there is no mention > of > how many actually drowned, but the number was considerable. Those that > lived were captured by the Confederate cavalry, and returned to their > owners. Not a single shred of evidence has ever been presented that the > Confederates killed any of the slaves, so I don't know where the gentleman > from Augusta got his information. The only "betrayal" that took place at > Ebenezer Creek was on the part of the Union Army. > This is the first I've heard of the Civil War Trails. I'm very much > in > favor of the signs being erected as long as the stories told are > historically accurate. But, in the politically correct society we live in > today, that is yet to be seen. Let's all hope the gentleman from Augusta > has nothing to do with the storytelling. Now for the fine print: "the > opinions expressed are solely those of the writer." LOL, and thanks for > reading. > > Mike Ridgdill > Twin City, GA > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Olivia & Larry Braddy" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 7:55 PM > Subject: Re: [GAEMANUE] Civil War Trails - Six Heritage Trails Eyed > forCivilWar Anniversary > > >> Odd that we never heard anything at all about this. But then I don't >> believe >> everything printed in the Atlanta Journal & Constitution! >> >> Olivia >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "JRA" <[email protected]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 12:26 PM >> Subject: [GAEMANUE] Civil War Trails - Six Heritage Trails Eyed for >> CivilWar >> Anniversary >> >> >>> Yvonne's message was a perfect lead-off for an article that appeared in >>> Sunday's AJC metro section that I thought may interest others: >>> http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2008/07/27/heritage.html >>> >>> Six heritage trails eyed for Civil War anniversary >>> By Mark Davis >>> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution >>> Published on: 07/27/08 >>> >>> They had no choice. When Union soldiers swept through, the freed slaves >>> fell in behind. The former servants and field hands needed to eat, and >>> they feared the Confederate cavalry trailing the Northerners. >>> Then they came to Ebenezer Creek, soldier and freedman alike. A Union >>> general with the unlikely name of Jefferson C. Davis ordered his troops >>> to >>> build a pontoon bridge so the army could advance toward Savannah. Men, >>> mules and material trundled across the Effingham County creek. Before >>> the >>> former slaves could follow, Davis ordered the bridge taken apart. >>> Hundreds >>> of people stood on the bank, watching the army leave. >>> >>> Some jumped in the creek and drowned. Others were at its banks when >>> mounted Confederate soldiers arrived. With sword and gun, the frustrated >>> cavalrymen took their anger out on the unarmed people. Hundreds died in >>> what became known as the betrayal at Ebenezer Creek. >>> It is but a footnote in Sherman's March to the Sea, one event among >>> hundreds that took place in Georgia during the Civil War. There isn't >>> even >>> a sign at the creek to remind people of the carnage —- but one is >>> coming. >>> The marker, which should be erected next year, is one of scores that >>> will >>> commemorate events that took place in Georgia during the Civil War. They >>> will make up the Georgia Civil War Heritage Trails, a $4.3 million >>> program >>> highlighting places where the war unfolded in Georgia's cities, towns >>> and >>> forests. Six trails, reaching across the state, will showcase about 400 >>> spots —- battlefields and hospital sites, places where armies stopped to >>> spend the night and more. >>> >>> Drive, not walk. The trails are not pedestrian walkways; they stretch >>> for >>> hundreds of miles, and are designed to be driven. Some signs have >>> already >>> been erected on three of the routes, and more will be marked next year. >>> Planners hope all the trails will be completed between 2011-15, the >>> Civil >>> War's sesquicentennial. >>> >>> Most people don't realize that Georgia is second only to Virginia in the >>> number of events that took place in the 1861-65 conflict, said Steven >>> Longcrier, executive director of the nonprofit Georgia Civil War >>> Heritage >>> Trails Inc., which is overseeing the project. They only think of a trek >>> to >>> the sea, he said. >>> >>> "I guess you can thank a guy named Sherman for that," said the Augusta >>> resident, a Civil War enthusiast who has spent several years cataloging >>> sites across the state. >>> >>> Union Gen. William T. Sherman gets his due. March to the Sea Heritage >>> Trail will showcase the progress of the general who vowed to "make >>> Georgia >>> howl." It will be a 250-mile journey taking visitors along parallel >>> paths >>> of the army's push to the coast. >>> >>> Other heritage trails are: >>> The Atlanta Campaign. It will follow the Union and Confederate armies' >>> route from northwest Georgia to Atlanta. It should open first, followed >>> by >>> March to the Sea. >>> Jefferson Davis. This trail showcases the president of the Confederacy, >>> not the Union general, and will trace his path as Davis tried to escape >>> Union forces. Planners want this trail to open next year. >>> Wilson's Raid. It showcases cavalry assaults from Alabama into Georgia >>> led >>> by Union Maj. Gen. James Wilson. >>> Northeast Georgia. It will focus on the mountain region's divided >>> loyalties between Union and Confederate causes. >>> South Georgia. The prison at Andersonville, about 15 miles north of >>> Americus, will be a feature, as well as sites highlighting agriculture's >>> importance to the Confederates. >>> >>> Don't expect to whisk down interstates from one site to the next, said >>> Alex Wiley of MACTEC Inc. A national engineering firm whose headquarters >>> is Alpharetta, the company is working with the heritage group to survey >>> tracts and offer construction advice. It's also coordinating plans with >>> the state Department of Transportation, which has rights-of-way >>> authority. >>> "As I like to say, Sherman didn't take I-75 to Atlanta," said Wiley. >>> Nor will people who track the sites. In some areas, motorists will >>> follow >>> dirt roads that the long-ago armies traveled. The trails, said >>> Longcrier, >>> "kind of wind all around." >>> >>> Longcrier would know. Since the heritage organization's founding in >>> 1999, >>> Longcrier has logged more than 200,000 miles on two vehicles, visiting >>> sites across the state. When the first vehicle gave out last year, he >>> bought a second car; it has 30,000 miles so far. >>> >>> People won't mind the circuitous routes, said Fay Tripp, director of the >>> state Department of Economic Development's regional tourism program, >>> which >>> will offer trail brochures and feature the drives on its Web site. She >>> called heritage tourism a "hot button." >>> >>> Profitable, too. The department estimates that the first three of >>> Georgia's trails could generate more than $62 million in hotel and meal >>> receipts, plus create more than 800 jobs. >>> >>> Potential visitors, she said, should run the gamut: retirees, school >>> groups, people researching their ancestry. "They're going to stay in >>> hotels, they're going to eat in restaurants," Tripp said. "Some of them >>> ... may visit and never leave." >>> >>> Some may like what they find in out-of-the-way places like Sandersville, >>> population 6,144. It's the site of the Brown House, now the home of the >>> Washington County town's history museum. On Nov. 26, 1864, a >>> bewhiskered, >>> prickly Union officer took a nap on the home's fainting couch. That >>> night, >>> he dined with reluctant hostess Mariah Brown and her children. The next >>> day, Sherman pushed onward. >>> >>> "We hope people will come down and visit," said Mayor Jimmy Andrews. >>> "We're very interested in tourism down here." >>> >>> Lesser-known events >>> In 2004, Sandersville put up $5,000 for two heritage markers in town. >>> The >>> participating towns and municipalities have contributed an average >>> $2,500 >>> in matching funds, said Longcrier. In all, they've contributed more than >>> $300,000. The state and private donors have given a comparable amount. >>> The cash will help pay for directional signs, plus the markers >>> themselves, >>> which will look precisely like those used by the National Park Service. >>> The signs will show up in likely places —- 11 in and around Atlanta will >>> showcase the Battle of Atlanta, for example. Yet others will showcase >>> lesser-known occurrences. For example, Irwinville, where Union forces >>> captured President Davis, is going to get a marker, too. >>> >>> As will a creek, where hundreds of people faced a hard choice: death by >>> water, or sword. >>> >>> DALE E. DODSON / Staff SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA Map illustrates the >>> route of William Sherman's 250-mile march from Atlanta to the sea. An >>> inset map of the state of Georgia outlines the area of detail. >>> >>> Sincerely, >>> Lena >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Emanuel County GaGenWeb >>> http://www.thegagenweb.com/gaemanuel/ >>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >>> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >> >> Emanuel County GaGenWeb >> http://www.thegagenweb.com/gaemanuel/ >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > Emanuel County GaGenWeb > http://www.thegagenweb.com/gaemanuel/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message