CONFEDERATE RELICS

by John Harvey

Recently, I have been asked by several people who own metal detectors if there are any places in the county that might yield some Civil War souvenirs. I've had to tell them that there is little in the way of Civil War mementoes to be found in the county since there were no battles fought here.

The only possible places that relics might be found are at places where soldiers of the war may have camped. Records show that three Regiments of U.S. soldiers camped at Smith's Mill and the Seven Islands for a few days in the fall of 1864. There Regiments were sent east across the Ocmulgee River from Flovilla to Monticello and south through Hillsboro to Clinton. This move was intended to make the Confederate forces under Gen. Joseph Wheeler at Macon think that they were marching on Macon rather than the state capitol at Milledgeville.

The resulting battle was the Battle of Sunshine Church in Jones County, making that a likely place to find relics. The battle was fought in the are between the county line and Round Oak. It seems that the "Yankee" generals had attended West Point with "Little Joe" Wheeler, descriptions say that he was only five feet tall - and they wanted to keep him from marching to protect Capitol.

Other places in the county where Union forces camped were near Shiloh Baptist Church, the old Preston and Slack houses at Broughton and around the Jordan-Bellew house here in Monticello. We would suggest getting permission before starting to look for relics. These places have already been searched by others, of course.

Information about where the armies camped can be found in the "Daily Reports of the Invading Army" on file at the Washington Library in Macon.

Additional Comments:
Transcribed by Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@windstream.net April 2005, from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr.
John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's and 1980's time frame. Some were under the title "Jasper Reflections", others "Bicentennial Bits".
Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles.

Copies of articles provided by Benny Hawthorne.