Statues/Monuments; Lauderdale County, AL
The Wilson Dam Replica is located on the corner of Mobile and Seminary Streets in front of Legends Steakhouse in downtown Florence, Alabama. The replica dam is engraved with each name of the quad cities: Tuscumbia, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Florence, and the year each city became incorporated.
Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
Kilby Laboratory School was founded in 1922 as a part of Florence State Normal School. The school originally occupied what is now the University Of North Alabama Mathematics Building. Classes were conducted in this location until the fall of 1964 when they moved to a newly finished building on North Pine Street. The school currently includes students in kindergarten to sixth grade. Kilby is a public school, but UNA owns and operates it. Through this arrangement education majors are able to use the school for real world training during their UNA career. Children of UNA faculty and staff also have priority for admittance to Kilby over other students in the district.
Text: University of North Alabama, "About Our School," Kilby Laboratory School, https://www.una.edu/kilby/about.html (Accessed April 28, 2015). Wendy Reeves, "Kilby School only one of kind in state of Alabama," The Flor-Ala, September 14, 1989. Images: University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections, Collier Library
Alexander Donelson Coffee was a Confederate veteran of the Civil War and a planter and manufacturer in Florence. He was born on June 3, 1821, to General John Coffee and Mary Donelson Coffee. He attended the Lorance school in Florence, and the University of Nashville. Alexander Coffee served in the Confederate Army as a captain of Company C, 16th Alabama infantry regiment. Coffee fought in the Battle of Shiloh, but left the army soon after due to bad health. Coffee spent the rest of his life in Florence, working as a planter. He passed away on May 12, 1901. Coffee was first married to Letitia Van Dyke (Campbell) Sloss, and later to Camilla (Madding) Jones after his first wife’s death. He is buried in the Coffee Family Cemetery in Florence.
Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. Bluewater Publications, 2003. William Lindsey McDonald, Civil War Tales of the Tennessee Valley. (Heart of Dixie Publishing: Killen, Alabama, 2003), 200-202. Thomas McAdory Owen, History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, Volume III, 1921, Page 368. Accessed January 16, 2014, at http://www.archives.alabama.gov.
General John Coffee was a Federal surveyor who did work in Tennessee and Alabama and is known as one of the founders of Florence, Alabama. Born on June 2, 1772, in Prince Edward County, Virginia, Coffee moved to Tennessee as a young man. As a resident of Davidson County, Tennessee, Coffee became friends with Andrew Jackson. Coffee married Mary Donelson, who was the niece of Andrew Jackson’s wife Rachel. Friendship and family ties closely linked Coffee with Jackson for the remainder of his life. Coffee served with distinction under Jackson in the War of 1812, and was instrumental in the U.S. victory of the Creek War. After the War of 1812 and the Indian campaigns, Coffee continued working as a surveyor and land speculator. In 1817 he was appointed Surveyor-General of Alabama, and moved to Huntsville. In 1819 he moved to Lauderdale County, and the district land office was moved to Florence. Coffee served as the Surveyor-General for the rest of his life. His home, Hickory Hill Plantation, was located off of present day Cloverdale Road, which was called Coffee Road at the time. John Coffee died July 7, 1833, and is buried in the Coffee Family Cemetery at Florence, Alabama along with his wife and several children. A Wal-Mart store is located in close proximity to the graveyard.
Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical Illustrated. Smith and De Land, Birmingham. 1888. William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. Bluewater Publications, 2003. Gordon Thomas Chappell, The Life and Activities of John Coffee, A Thesis, Vanderbilt University, 1941.
Cemeteries; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Tri-Cities Cemetery was established in 1954. The cemetery is located off Highway 72 close to Deibert Park. The cemetery contains over 8,000 burials. It has a combination of ground burials, mausoleums, and a columbarium. For a full description of graves visit this link: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-tricities1.htm
Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
"About Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens." Burial Planning. http://www.burialplanning.com/cemeteries/tri-cities-memorial-gardens/cemetery-about/. Accessed April 12, 2015. Torbert, Robert E. "Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens, Garden No. 1." Rootsweb. August 2000. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-tricities1.htm. Accessed April 11, 2015.
Established in 1818, Florence Cemetery was the first city cemetery. The marker reads, "When the city was surveyed, this land described as 'outside city limits' was designated as the burying grounds for the new town. It contains the graves of early settlers, including a son and brother of Ferdinand Sannoner, surveyor of Florence, and served as the principal cemetery for over 130 years. Two former governors of Alabama from the O'Neal family, as well as many prominent community leaders, are interred here. "Soldier's Rest", a Confederate Cemetery is located near the south property line. This cemetery is massive and contains over 9,000 records. It is divided into 26 sections.
Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama.
McCord, Timothy. "Florence City Cemetery." Rootsweb. August 2001. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-florence1.htm. Accessed April 2, 2015. "Florence Cemetery -1818." Latitude 34 North. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/MarkerDetail.cfm?KeyID=39-057&MarkerTitle=Florence%20Cemetery%20%3F%20-1818-. Accessed April 11, 2015.
Forks of Cypress Cemetery (aka Jackson Cemetery)
Jackson Cemetery is located about four miles northwest of Florence. The cemetery is due east of the ruins of the Forks of Cypress, located on the Old Jackson Road, which stretches from North Florence to the Savannah Highway. Separating the ruins from the Cemetery is Dowdy Road. There is a 90’x 90’ cut stonewall that is four feet in height surrounding it. Jackson History: At the age of 17, James Jackson came to America from Ballibay County in Monaghan, Ireland, in 1799. His sister Elenaora, and her husband Thomas Kirkman came along with Jackson. Jackson, along with his sister and her husband, settled in Nashville. While living in Nashville, Jackson met Sarah Moore McCullouch who was a widow from South Carolina. On December 28, 1810, James and Sally were married. James Jackson, along with General John Coffee, future Supreme Court Justice John McKinley and other partners, established the Cypress Land Company in 1818. They realized that land companies were great investments. The first land sale for land in Florence was held in 1818. Lauderdale County was soon formed with Florence serving as county seat. Jackson realized Florence had a great potential, so he decided to construct his plantation in the surrounding area. Four miles from Florence, at the junction of the Big and Little Cypress Creeks, Jackson constructed his mansion with 3,000 acres. In 1820, Jackson died and was laid to rest among relatives in Jackson Cemetery. History of the Cemetery: Unfortunately, there is no exact evidence of the age of Jackson Cemetery. The oldest marked grave in the cemetery is that of Jane Hannah Anderson, infant daughter of Henry and Ellen Anderson, buried September 19, 1829. It is believed that during the early years of the cemetery there was no wall. Only when Master James Jackson decided to make it a family resting place was the wall constructed.
McDonald, William L. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Bluewater Publishing, 2003. 408. "Jackson Cemetery." Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=23651. Accessed April 11, 2015.
To reach Antioch Cemetery, travel to Cloverdale on Alabama Hwy. #157 and continue 4 miles north. Turn right onto County Rd. #10 and travel 2.3 miles to the cemetery. The cemetery is located on the left behind the church.
Montgomery, David L. "Antioch Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. January 29, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/AntiochChCem.html. Accessed April 25, 2015.
To reach this cemetery, from Florence, Alabama, travel west on Alabama Hwy. 20 14.6 miles. Turn right onto County Road 5 and travel 1.8 miles. Turn left onto County Road 8. Go about 1/2 mile. This cemetery is on the right side of the road west of the church. There are a total of nine burials in the cemetery.
Torbert, Robert E. "Hendrix Chapel Cemetery." Rootsweb. August 19, 2000. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-hendrixchapel.htm. Accessed April 27, 2015. Full description of graves can be seen here: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-hendrixchapel.htm
Cloverdale Cemetery is located off of Cloverdale Rd. To reach this cemetery turn north off Cox Creek Parkway onto Ala 157 (Cloverdale Road); Go 10.9 miles to the cemetery. The cemetery is on the right side of the road, in back of the Cloverdale Church of Christ. A full description of graves can be viewed here: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-cloverdale.htm
Irons, Olan. "Cloverdale Cemetery." Rootsweb. October 4, 1989. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-cloverdale.htm. Accessed April 28, 2015.
Peerson Cemetery was restored in the summer of 1990 by Mason Ingram and more relatives of the Peersons. To reach this cemetery from Florence, turn northwest off Cox Creek Parkway onto Savannah Highway. Then go 2.9 miles and turn left on Mud Road. Continue on the road for 2.5 miles until the cemetery is in view. The cemetery is on the left side of the road. The cemetery is labeled as Pearson Cemetery on maps. Ten graves have been documented. This source contains a full description of the graves: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-peerson.htm
Irons, Olan. "Peerson Cemetery." Rootsweb. September 12, 1990. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-peerson.htm. Accessed April 11, 2015.
To reach the Piney Grove Cemetery, travel highway 17 north from Cox Creek Parkway to .3 mile north of Wilson High School. Turn right onto County Rd. 224 and go 1.12 miles. Turn right onto a dirt and gravel drive between a residence and a barn and go about 300 to 400 feet to the gate at the entrance. The cemetery is fenced and lies behind an equipment shed and into a wooded area. The cemetery has 50 to 60 unmarked graves. List of graves is in the source.
Montgomery, David L. "Piney Grove Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. January 15, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/PineyGroveCem.htm. Accessed March 12, 2015.
To reach the Rhodesville Methodist Church Cemetery, turn right in Rhodesville onto County Road #189. Go about .5 miles to the cemetery. It is located behind the church. The cemetery has a record of 136 records. A list of graves is located in the source.
Montgomery, David L. "Rhodesvillle Cemetery." Rootsweb. November 19, 2004. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-rhdsvl-2004.htm. Accessed April 22, 2015.
Oak Grove Cemetery is located in Lauderdale County, Alabama. From Florence, Alabama, take Savannah Hwy west to Waterloo Rd. Turn west onto County Road 14, go approx. 17 miles. Turn right onto Bitter Branch Rd. Turn left onto County Road 121. The cemetery is 1.5 miles on right at top of hill. The cemetery is still in good condition today. It has a record of 31 graves. List of graves is located in the source.
Wood, Sharon L. "Oak Grove Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 13, 2001. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-oakgrove.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015.
The Jessie’s Garden cemetery is adjacent to the Wilson Cemetery on state highway 17, north of Florence, Alabama. Turn right onto County Rd. 142 just north of the Rogers Chapel United Methodist Church. Go 200 yards and the entrance is on the right. The cemetery was founded by Roy Patterson Jr. and is named after his mother. Mr. Patterson was the first person buried in the cemetery. Full list of graves is located in the source.
Montgomery, David L. "Jessie's Garden Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. May 3, 2014. http://cemeteriesonly.com/JessiesGardenCem.htm. Accessed April 13, 2015.
To reach the cemetery, turn north off Cox Creek Parkway in Florence and travel 8.3 miles. Turn left onto County Road #73 and keep right. Travel .8 mile to the cemetery on the right. The are a few graves marked with stones. Full list of graves is located in sources.
Montgomery, David L. "Canerday Cemetery." Canerday Cemetery. February 7, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/CanerdayCem.html. Accessed April 22, 2015.
From Florence, Alabama, travel Alabama Hwy. 20 west for 3.3 miles. Turn left onto Waterloo Rd. and go 10.2 miles. Turn left onto County Rd. 189 and go 2.8 miles. The church and cemetery are at the corner of County Rd. 189 and County Rd. 62. The cemetery is located behind the church. The full list of graves is located in the source.
Montgomery, David L. "Canaan Methodist Church Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. February 20, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/CanaanMethChCem.html. Accessed on April 4, 2015.
To reach this cemetery, travel Alabama Hwy. 20 west from Florence, Alabama for 2.1 miles. Turn left (west) off Hwy 20 onto county Road 2 (Gunwaleford Road) and go about 6.2 miles. The cemetery is on the right side of the road. The River Bend Cemetery is in western Lauderdale County, Alabama, and is owned and maintained by the River Bend Church of Christ. The grounds are in very good condition with plenty of room for expansion. The oldest person buried here was born in 1863. The first burial here was in 1949. There are a total of 59 records in this cemetery. Full list of graves is located in the sources.
Montgomery, David L. "River Bend Cemetery 2005." Rootsweb. January 5, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-riverbendcoc2005.htm. Accessed April 11, 2015.
The Macedonia Church of Christ cemetery is located in the western part of Lauderdale County. To reach the cemetery, travel Alabama Highway 20 west from Florence, AL. Immediately after crossing over the Natchez Trace Parkway, turn left onto County Rd. #5 and travel 1.4 miles, turning right onto County Rd. 158 and travel 0.4 mile. The cemetery is just past the church on the right. The marker at the cemetery reads, "The church dates its roots to the early 1800’s, the congregation met in homes with Joseph Fanning, visiting evangelist. The church was first organized as Macedonia Baptist Church. In 1834, J.W. Smith supervised a building on this site. In 1880, T.B. Larimore, a well known evangelist among Church of Christ churches in the area, was asked to preach. The congregation then changed to the present name. The church has made a powerful impact. The adjoining cemetery is the resting place for many of the county’s beloved sons & daughters." Full list of graves is located in the source.
Montgomery, David L. "Macedonia Church of Christ." Cemeteries Only. April 12, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/MacedoniaCem.html. Accessed April 29, 2015.
Murphy's Chapel Cemetery is located ½ mile east of Alabama Highway 20, on Lauderdale County Road 8 at Murphy's Chapel Free Will Baptist Church northwest of Florence, Alabama. The oldest known grave is that of a Confederate soldier buried in 1861. A woman by the name of Katie K. Jones is the oldest known person buried here, having been born in 1792. Some graves are probably much older than those listed. There are war veterans from the Civil War to the Korean War. The cemetery has a record of 738 graves. A full list of graves is located in the source.
Montgomery, David L. "Murphy's Chapel." Rootsweb. January 5, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-murphychapel-2005.htm. Accessed April 7, 2015.
Cemeteries; Civil War; Lauderdale County, AL
David L. Montgomery visited this grave an stated: "An individual who lives in the immediate area of this grave informed me about this Union soldier’s final resting place. He has hunted the surrounding woods almost all of his life and has known of its location for many years. According to this person, there was an attempt to excavate the grave by a person/persons probably looking for Civil War relics. The person/persons digging in the earth, dug down about four or five feet deep. By most grave standards, the headstone is always placed to the west of the gravesite. It appears that they didn’t know on which side of the headstone to dig. There has been no evidence or rumors of anything being found since it is believed they dug on the wrong side." The gravesite is located approximately 2 miles north northeast of Cloverdale, Alabama. It is located on private property and deep in the woods. The headstone was removed from the gravesite in the 1980’s and was gone for about two years. It was returned and placed in the exact spot with the lettering to facing the west. According to the inscription on the stone, Meadows was attached to Company “G” of the 2nd Tennessee Infantry. But he is listed in the Company “D” roster, of the 2nd Tennessee Infantry, also a Union Army unit. He enlisted at Savannah, Tennessee on January 15, 1864. He was drafted in February 1, 1864 at Nashville, Tennessee.
Montgomery, David L. "Union Soldier's Grave." Cemeteries Only. http://cemeteriesonly.com/UnionSoldiersGrave.htm. Accessed April 3, 2015.
This cemetery is located off County Road 21 north of Waterloo, Alabama. From Waterloo, travel north on County Road 14 for 1.07 miles and turn right onto County Road 90. Go 2.2 miles to County Road 21. Turn left and keep right, following County Rd. 21 2.23 miles. The cemetery is across the road. There once was a church near Mt. Hebron, the stone footings are located near the cemetery. There are at least 12 unknown graves in the cemetery.
Bob, Torbert. "Mt Hebron Cemetery." Rootsweb. June 1, 2002. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-mthebron.htm. Accessed April 11, 2015.
Whitten Cemetery is located in western Lauderdale County, Alabama area north of Waterloo. To reach the Whitten Cemetery, travel on Lauderdale County Road 14 to Waterloo. Continue to follow County Rd. 14 turning right. Continue on 1.07 miles and turn right onto County Road 90. Go 1.37 miles and the cemetery is on the hill on the left. This is a very old cemetery with many graves and few markers. It sits upon a hill accessible only by a steep path. There are few large cedar trees located in the cemetery. The earliest date on a marker is 1790 marking the grave of Alexander Higgins.
Montgomery, David L. "Whitten Cemetery." Rootsweb. November 28, 2006. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-whitten.htm. Accessed April 11, 2015.
To reach Pine Hill Cemetery, from Florence, Alabama, travel Alabama Highway 20 west approximately 19½ miles. Turn right onto County Road 8 and travel approximately .9 mile and turn left onto County Road 10. Travel approximately 1.2 miles and the cemetery is on the right of the road behind the Pine Hill Church of Christ. Pine Hill Cemetery is owned and maintained by the church. It has a record of 257 graves. Twenty of the graves are unknown. The church was established in or before 1900, but the actual date is unknown. The source contains full list of grave in the cemetery.
Montgomery, David L. "Pine Hill Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 4, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-pinehill-2005.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015.
To reach the William’s Chapel Cemetery, from Waterloo, Alabama, travel east on County Rd. # 14 for about ½ mile. Turn left (north) onto County Road. 1. Go about 7 miles and the cemetery is on the left behind the church. Williams Chapel Cemetery is well maintained and contains 199 records. Source contains a list of graves located in the cemetery.
Montgomery, David L. "Williams Chapel Cemetery 2005." Rootsweb. January 4, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-williamschpl-2005.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015.
To reach this cemetery, turn off AL 20 (Savannah Highway), onto Lauderdale 6 (Gunwaleford Road), go 9.8 miles. The cemetery is on the right side of the road. You must go through a small section of woods, and then across an open field to reach it. It is about 75 yards from the main road, and can be seen. The Smithsonia Church of Christ is on the left side of the road, about 100 yards on down the road. The cemetery has a hand cut stonewall around it, four feet in height. It is covered in vines and poorly maintained. It is located on the F. M. Perry Estate. Neal Rowell practiced medicine in early Florence for a few years before he retired to West Lauderdale County. He and his wife inherited a plantation called Alba Wood. Rowell is a native of Wood County, Virginia. Rowell married Martha Ann Cheatham, daughter of Christopher Cheatham, one of the earliest settler’s of Lauderdale County.
Irons, Olan. "Rowell Cemetery." Rootsweb. December 7, 1988. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-rowell.htm. Accessed April 20, 2015.
The Florence Indian Mound Museum is located at the foot of the Florence Indian Mound. The Florence Mound was built by early Native Americans and dates back to the Woodland period. The museum has display cases that house arrowheads, spearheads, Native American pottery, and implements made from bones, shells, and rocks. The museum does not focus on the Florence Indian Mound, but features displays from different eras, tribes, and locations that are not related to the Florence site. There are enough labels and interpretive exhibits to allow a visitor to understand the meaning of the objects on display, even without a detailed tour. A video that is less than 10 minutes long is available for visitors to watch. It briefly covers Native American History, but really does not mention the Florence Indian Mound with any significance. The first exhibit in the museum is entitled “The New Americans Migrated from the Old World” and explains how this is thought to have been done. The second is entitled “Paleo Indian Nomadic Hunters: More than 10,000 Years Ago.” Continuing down the line you find the “Transition of Paleo-Archaic Hunters to Gatherers: 7,000 to 10,000 years ago,” “Woodland People The First Farmers: 1,100 to 4,000 years ago,” “Mississippian People: Temple Mound Builders 500-1,000 years ago,” “Historic Indians,” and “Trail of Tears.” After walking back to the other side of the room, a visitor is able to learn about the “Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter: One of the World’s Archaeology Greats.” This side of the room offers a look at Native American tools, Spanish trade goods, pottery, and the use of effigies in Native American culture. Industrialization has encroached on the mound site a great deal. Almost touching the drive that circles around the mound is a Co-Op store and related buildings. The railroad runs near the opposite side of the mound, where the Port of Florence is in close proximity. The above article was written in 2015, and tells the story of the first museum that was located at the Florence Indian Mound. Shortly after this article was completed, the old museum building was demolished. A new museum was completed in early 2017.
A Visit to the Florence Indian Mound Museum
To reach the Walston Cemetery from Florence, Alabama, travel west on Alabama Highway 20 for 3.3 miles. Turn left (west) onto County Rd. 14 (Waterloo Rd.) and travel 5.4 miles to the community of Oakland, Alabama. Turn left onto County Rd. 15 and go about 1.1 mile to the cemetery on the right about 100 yards off the road. Walston cemetery is an old cemetery with the oldest known burial being Elizabeth Walston in 1830. The name of the cemetery is taken from the Walston family. Thirty to thirty-five unidentified graves surround the white section. The black section has multiple sunken areas that are graves with no markers. Some slaves might have been buried in this area. The cemetery combined has a record of 435 records.
Montgomery, David L. "Walston Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. November 1, 2014. http://cemeteriesonly.com/WalstonCem.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015.
Cemeteries; Waterloo, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Mt. Olive Cemetery is located in the far western area of Lauderdale Co., Alabama. To reach the cemetery, from Waterloo, AL, travel County Road #45 for 4.1 miles. Turn left onto Union Hollow Rd. Keep continuing left as Union Hollow Rd. begins to curve. The largest part of the cemetery is on the left and a smaller portion on the right side. Mt. Olive Church was established around 1881. The graves in the cemetery predate the establishment of the church. List of graves are located in sources.
Montgomery, David L. "Mt. Olive Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. April 24, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/MtOliveCem.html. Accessed April 29, 2015.
To reach the Richardson Cemetery, from Florence, Alabama travel Alabama Highway 20 west for 3.3 miles. Turn left onto County Road 14 and travel to Waterloo, Alabama. Turn left at the 4-way stop and go through the town of Waterloo to the turn-around at the river. Turn up the hill to the right and the cemetery is on the left of the road. A smaller section is also on the right side of the paved road after topping the hill. There are a total of 604 records in this cemetery as of 2004. List of graves are located in sources.
Montgomery, David L. "Richardson Cemetery - Waterloo." Rootsweb. June 4, 2004. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-richardson-waterloo-a.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015.
From Florence, take the Waterloo road and go to Waterloo. Then take the Pea Ridge Road for about seven miles, turn left at the first paved cross roads. Go for about three miles until the road comes to a "T", turn left and go almost to the edge of the water. There are a few small creeks that cross the dirt road. An off-road vehicle may be recommended to travel to this cemetery. The cemetery is on the left side of the road. There may be more unmarked graves than there are marked graves in this cemetery.
Curtis, Janet. "Wates-Shaw Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 1, 1970. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-wateshaw.htm. Accessed April 14, 2015.
To reach the Ford Mill’s Cemetery from Florence, Alabama, travel west on Alabama Highway 20. Turn left onto County Road 14 and travel approximately 22 miles. Turn right onto County Road 1 just before crossing the bridge into Waterloo. Travel north on Co. Rd. 1 for 3.4 miles. Turn left onto County Road 90 and go .4 mile. The cemetery is on the right side of the road at the intersection of County Road 90 & Man Bone Rd. It lies diagonally across from the Ford’s Mill Free Will Baptist Church. There is a small child’s grave that is unknown. Ford Mill’s cemetery was established in 1932. The cemetery is well maintained and contains 18 records. List of graves are located in sources.
Montgomery, David L. "Ford's Mill Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 5, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-fordsmill.htm. Accessed April 3, 2015.
To reach Bumpus Creek Cemetery from Florence, Alabama, travel Alabama Hwy 20 west and turn left onto Waterloo Rd. and travel to Waterloo, Alabama. County Road # 14 turns north in Waterloo. Turn right and follow Bumpus Creek Road 4.5 miles to the Bumpus Creek Free Will Baptist Church. There are 84 graves in Bumpus Creek Cemetery. (The list of people buried in this cemetery is located in the source.)
Montgomery, David L. "Bumpass Creek Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 4, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-bumpusck2005.htm. Accesed April 12, 2015.
From Florence, turn off AL 20 (Savannah Highway) onto Waterloo Road. Go 12.5 miles and bear right on a gravel road. Go 0.1 mile to the cemetery. The cemetery is located behind Gravelly springs Missionary Baptist Church. Gravelly Springs Cemetery is very old and contains the grave of a veteran of the War of 1812. Located in the cemetery are 25 unknown graves marked with field stones. Source contains full list of people buried in this cemetery.
Montgomery, David L. "Gravelly Springs Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. April 15, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/GravSprsCem.html. Accessed April 22, 2015.
Preacher Arrested in Florence for Praying
Union Occupation; Florence, AL; Civil War; Dr. W.H. Mitchell; Union Colonel John Marshall Harlan
After the Union forces captured Florence in 1862, the Union military officials issued an edict that forbade praying for the Confederacy. The pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Florence was arrested for violating this decree on Sunday, July 27, 1862. The pastor’s name was Dr. W.H. Mitchell, who had received a doctorate in divinity from Princeton. He came to Florence in 1847 after serving as pastor in Prattville, Wetumpka, and Montgomery. On the morning of July 27, Dr. Mitchell surveyed his congregation from the pulpit. He noticed that several Union soldiers were seated in the pews. Knowing that the edict had been issued and incensed at the affront to religious liberty, he prayed for President Jefferson Davis and the success of the Confederate Armies. As soon as the amen was called, Union Colonel John Marshall Harlan, Provost Marshal of the 10th Kentucky and future Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, marched up the aisle and arrested Dr. Mitchell, informing the congregation that the service was over. Mitchell was placed under guard, marched across the Tennessee River, and placed on a train bound for Federal prison in Alton, Illinois. Mitchell remained in prison for three months. A group of relatives and friends were able to secure his release in early October. He returned to the pulpit on October 12, 1862. He remained the pastor of First Presbyterian until he retired in 1871. The congregation jokingly called him the “prison pastor” and placed a memorial window in the sanctuary after his death in 1872.
Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). Debra Glass, MAed and Military Historian, Heath Mathews. n.d. "Civil War's Western Theater." armyoftennessee.wordpress.com. Accessed April 19, 2015. https://armyoftennessee.wordpress.com/two-martyrs-robin-lightfoot-and-w-h-mitchell/.
Photo from following websites: http://kynghistory.ky.gov/history/2qtr/addinfo/john+marshall+harlan+bio.htm
Wright and Rice Foundry; Civil War; Colonel Florence M. Cornyn; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Wright and Rice Foundry was located where the Mars Hill Church of Christ is located on Cox Creek. The foundry was built in 1835 by Williams Johnson but was sold to James Wright and William Rice. The foundry produced steam engines, mill saws, cotton gins, farming implements, and industrial machinery. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the foundry was converted for the manufacture of shells and munitions for weapons, ranging from large cannons to musket balls. This made the foundry a primary target for the Union force commanded by Colonel Florence M. Cornyn. The force of 1,380 men left Corinth, Mississippi, on May 26, 1863, on a mission to destroy the industrial capacity of Lauderdale County. Cornyn’s forces destroyed the foundry, along with many other industrial sites in the County, and then withdrew back to Mississippi.
McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. "Alabama Trails Business & Manfacturies." genealogytrails.com. Accessed April 10, 2015. http://genealogytrails.com/ala/lauderdale/businesspast.html. Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following website: https://flplarchive.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/picture5.jpg
Civil War; Happy Hollow; Brigadier General Edward Hatch; Baugh’s Ford; General Hood; Shoal Creek; Jackson’s Military Road; Lauderdale County, AL
The most contested ground in the Lauderdale County during the Civil War was most probably the area known as Happy Hollow. This engagement occurred in and around the area that Jackson’s Military Road crossed Shoal Creek in the area then known as Baugh’s Ford. Union General Croxton’s brigade on the west side of the creek was reinforced on November 6, by Brigadier General Edward Hatch and his 5th Division. From November 6 until just before General Hood’s Confederate army moved out of Florence on November 21, there were skirmishes on an almost daily basis at the ford. Both armies sent out probing and scouting missions over the creek. The Union forces made three attempts to capture the flour and gristmills on Shoal Creek before finally capturing them on November 9. The skirmishing continued until November 19th, when the 9th Illinois ran into a Confederate wagon train on Cloverdale Road. Despite losing thirty men, the Union forces captured several wagons and prisoners. The raid also turned up documents that detailed Hood’s plans for his campaign into Tennessee. The Union forces withdrew ceding the ford to Hood’s army. The Army of the Tennessee moved out of Florence on November 21.
McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). Edgar D. Byler, III. n.d. "GENERAL JOHN BELL HOOD'S INVASION OF TENNESSEE." tngenweb.org. Accessed April 11, 2015. http://www.tngenweb.org/wayne/Hood.htm. Eric. 2014. "HOOD’S BATTERED ARMY RECROSSES THE TENNESSEE." Civil War Daily Gazette. December 26. Accessed April 11, 2015. http://civilwardailygazette.com/2014/12/26/hoods-battered-army-recrosses-the-tennessee/. Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://bridgehunter.com/al/lauderdale/528/
Mountain Tom Clark; Tories; Outlaws; Civil War; Bugger; Lauderdale County, AL
One of the most notorious outlaws in the Tennessee Valley moved to Lauderdale County in late 1862 or early 1863. He was known as Mountain Tom Clark because he was known to have been from the “mountain counties.” This moniker helped to distinguish him from another man also named Tom Clark living in the same Blackburn area that he moved into. Reportedly, Mountain Tom had left his home with his wife and small child to avoid the being conscripted into the Confederate army. This evasion was to no avail as the conscript officers found him in his new home and took him into the Confederate army. He soon deserted the Confederate army and enlisted in the Union army. Later, after running afoul of army discipline, he deserted that army as well. It was then that he took whole heartedly to his life of crime. He joined in with a group of men who had likewise deserted both armies and were then engaged in robbing, raping, and murdering in and around Lauderdale County. Mountain Tom was credited with many crimes in the surrounding area, some of which he may have committed. Some of the crimes which formed the legal case against Clark were the Wilson plantation murder, the torture and robbing of several Florence citizens, and the murder of Mr. Howell. Clark was eventually arrested in Jackson County and extradited to Florence. In October of 1872, a mob of outraged citizens in Florence stormed the jail and drug Clark along with to others out to be lynched. One person among the mob remembered that he had once boasted that “nobody will ever run over Tom Clark.” According to legend, the mob decided it would be fitting to bury Mountain Tom Clark under the street so that he would forever be run over by the town he had terrorized during and after the Civil War.
McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). Fedore, T. S. 1893. "Outlaw Tom Clark." Florence Times, March 4: 1.
Photo from following websites: http://thecemeterydetective.com/florence-cemetery-florence-alabama/mountain_tom_clark/
Confederate Steam Boats Captured in Waterloo
Confederate Steamboats; Waterloo, AL; Civil War; Lauderdale County, AL; Tennessee River; Commander Andrew H. Foote; Fort Henry
After the fall of Fort Henry at the mouth of the Tennessee River, the USS Contestoga, Tyler, and Lexington steamed up the river on February 6, in pursuit of Confederate steamers. The Union forces under the command of Commander Andrew H. Foote captured to confederate supply steamers at Waterloo Landing. The cargo steamers Sallie Wood and Muscle were taken as prize vessels. The Muscle was carrying a load of iron in route to the Tredgar Iron Works in Richmond.
Tucker, Spencer C. 2009. "Myron J. Smith, Jr. The Timberclads in the Civil War: The Lexington, Conestoga and Tyler on the Western Waters. Jefferson, NC: McFarland." North & South: The Official Magazine Of The Civil War Society 11, no. 4: 79. America: History and Life with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
Photo from following websites: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg#/media/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg
Union Gunboat Raid on the Florence Docks
Civil War; Union Gunboat Raid; Florence Docks; USS Conestoga; USS Tyler; USS Lexington; Captain Fowler; Commander Andrew H. Foote; CSS Sam Kirkman; CSS Julius Smith; CSS Time; CSS Dunbar; Lieutenant Phelps; Lauderdale County, AL
The Union Gunboat raid on Florence, by vessels under the command of Commander Andrew H. Foote began on February 7, 1862. The USS Conestoga, Tyler, and Lexington had steamed up the river on February 6, in pursuit of Confederate steamers. The CSS Dunbar arrived at the Florence docks around 8:00 the night of February 7. Captain Fowler of the Dunbar warned the local commander of the approaching Union gunboats and organized the offloading of his vessels cargo for transport by rail to Tuscumbia. Later that night the CSS Sam Kirkman, Julius Smith, and Time arrived in Florence. At 8:30 on the morning of February 8, a message arrived in Florence from Confederate General Albert Sydney Johnston. General Johnston ordered that the rail bridge across the Tennessee River at Florence be taken down in order to allow the fleeing steamers to pass the shoals. The citizens of Florence protested the orders to local commanders and would not allow the bridge to be destroyed. Having finished unloading, the Dunbar steamed out of the Florence port and into Cypress Creek to hide until the Union boats withdrew. About 2:00 on the afternoon of February 8, the crews of the confederate steamers set their vessels ablaze after the Union gunboats had been spotted on the river. When Lexington and Conestoga under command of Lieutenant Phelps came into view of the docks, riflemen on the bank opened fire on them. Meanwhile, the crew of the Smith set her adrift full throttle toward the Union gunboats. The Conestoga opened fire on the riflemen on the bank, forcing them to abandon the field, but the Lexington had to maneuver out of the way of the drifting Smith. The Conestoga docked, and Lieutenant Phelps ordered a boarding party to save the burning boats. Although the boats were already unsalvageable, the boarding parties were able to confiscate Confederate government items valued at $100,000. Lieutenant Phelps then sent men to inspect the local warehouses where they discovered iron bars and plating that was on its way to outfit the nearly complete Confederate gunboat Eastport, which Commander Foote’s forces had captured early that week. While exploiting the warehouses, a contingent of citizens from the town met with Phelps to express concerns for the safety of the citizenry, bridge, and property. The lieutenant assured the group that the people, bridge, and property of the town would not be damaged. Phelps was good as his word and left the town and bridge untouched, only taking or destroying the Confederate supplies at the docks. The bridge would survive for another month, when Confederate forces would burn it to cover their retreat.
Photo from following websites: http://www.civilwarphotos.net/files/naval_officers.htm Photo from following websites: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg#/media/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg
Bridget Blessing Morrison Hiding Friends and Enemies
Bridget Blessing Morrison; Zebulon Pike Morrison; Civil War; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Bridget Blessing Morrison lived on the southeast corner of Wood Avenue and Mobile Street. She was born in Montreal, Canada. Her father brought his family to Florence during the early 1830s to work as an engineer on the first Muscle Shoals Canal. She married Zebulon Pike Morrison, an undertaker and contractor. During the Civil War, Zebulon Morrison built a secret compartment for hiding valuables and eventually food from plundering troops. During the first Union occupation of Florence, Union troops were quartered with the Morrisons. When the Confederate forces moved back into the area, one of the officers who had been wounded in a nearby skirmish could not be evacuated with the retreating Union forces. Mrs. Morrison hid the wounded soldier in the secret compartment and nursed him back to health. Later when the Union forces had again taken Florence, Mrs. Morrison’s nephew who was a Confederate courier was on the run from Union forces. She hid him in the same secret compartment. When the Union forces arrived she recognized their commander as the same man she had hid earlier. The commander made a show of searching the house and left the hiding place alone. Reportedly he departed saying half of a bible verse, “My lady, cast thy bread upon the waters.” The second half from Ecclesiastes finishes “… for thou shalt find it after many days.”
McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
Photo from following websites: http://www.trva-tcwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Muscle-Shoals-Canal-Map2.jpg
Robin Lightfoot; Lynching; Bushwhackers; Civil War; African American History; Lauderdale County, AL
Robin Lightfoot, a mixed blood slave, help to organize the first church of African Americans at Florence, Church Spring, in 1837. Reverend Lightfoot preached on the hope for eventual emancipation for his people. While Union General Don Carlos Buell occupied Florence in 1862, Reverend Lightfoot’s sermons were relayed to local Bushwhackers, pro-confederate guerillas. The Bushwhackers captured Reverend Lightfoot at the current location of Wood Avenue Church of Christ. They hauled him to Stewart Spring and lynched him in an oak tree.
Debra Glass, Maed and Military Historian, Heath Mathews. n.d. "Civil War's Western Theater." armyoftennessee.wordpress.com. Accessed April 19, 2015. https://armyoftennessee.wordpress.com/two-martyrs-robin-lightfoot-and-w-h-mitchell/.
President Elect Franklin Roosevelt Visits Florence
Franklin Roosevelt; Florence, AL; Tennessee Valley Authority; Wilson Dam; Lauderdale County, AL
President elect Franklin Roosevelt visited Florence on January 21 and 22, 1933. The President was in the area touring Wilson Dam as a model for his proposal of a Tennessee Valley Authority. The design of the program, drafted by Senator George Norris of Nebraska, was to bring power and economic development to the region. The visiting dignitaries included three senators, George Norris, Kenneth McKellar, Clarence Dill; Tennessee governor Hill McAlister; Alabama Governor Benjamin Miller; and President Roosevelt’s daughter Mrs. Curtis Dell. The city was packed for the President’s arrival with Court and Tennessee Streets packed as the presidential limousine passed that way. The president attended Sunday services at the First United Methodist Church at the suggestion of Dr. Henry Willingham, President of the State Normal College in Florence.
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). 1933. "Encyclopedia of Alabama." Roosevelt Visits Wilson Dam. January. Accessed April 20, 2015. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/m-3314.
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Wilson Dam; Tennessee River; TVA; National Defense Act of 1916; Henry Ford; Franklin Roosevelt; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; Colbert County, AL
Wilson Dam is a gravity dam spanning the Tennessee River between Lauderdale and Colbert counties in the quad cities area. The dam was originally constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1918 and 1924. The project was envisioned as a part of the National Defense Act of 1916 during the run up to World War I to provide power for two nitrate plants intended to produce explosives for the war effort. The massive federal program cost $130 million dollars, however the first electrical generation from the plant was not until 1925 long after the end of the war. Although the properties attracted the attention of notable industrialist Henry Ford, who offered $5 million for them and promised to make the shoals the “Detroit of the South,” they languished in governmental limbo until the New Deal programs of Franklin Roosevelt. Impressed by the potential of the properties, Roosevelt’s team made the dam’s operational model the theme for the TVA’s economic invigoration of the entire Tennessee River region. The model was to incorporate a threefold purpose for each dam; flood control, navigational locks, and hydroelectric power generation. The dam has underwent few significant change in structure since its completion. An expansion of the locking system was completed in 1959 making it the largest single-chamber system in the world at that time. There has also been an additional nine spillways have been added. However, the neoclassical style incorporating elements of ancient Greece and Rome has remained a distinguishing feature for Wilson Dam as the only dam in the TVA system with that architectural style.
Ezzell, Patricia Bernard. 2012. Wilson Dam and Reservoir. June 14. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-3268. History, Alabama. Dept. of Archives and. 2007. Lienhard, John H. 2014. No. 2261: Muscle Shoals. January 23. http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2261.htm. TVA. n.d. Wilson Resivor. http://www.tva.gov/sites/wilson.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/m-3314 Photo from following websites: http://www.tva.gov/sites/wilson.htm.
Mapleton; Civil War; Levi Todd; Robert McFarland; Colonel John Harlan; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The residence of Mapleton was built in the Federalist style under the direction of a South American architect. During the Civil War it was known as Todd’s Hill because it was the home of local physician Levi Todd. When the Union occupied Florence in 1862, Colonel John Harlan of the 10th Kentucky headquarter there. Colonel Harlan, who was famous in the area for arresting a local Presbyterian minister for praying for the Confederacy, would later become an associate justice of the US Supreme Court. After the war, Confederate Major Robert McFarland purchased the house. Robert McFarland was born in Londonderry County, Ireland, on August 6, 1836. He had been educated and prepared for a life in the British army. When he failed to get in the Crimean War, he left Britain for the United States in 1854. After graduating from Washington College, he studied law under John W. Brokenborough in Lexington, Virginia. He attained a Bachelor of Law in 1860 and moved to Florence in April of that year. In Florence he partnered with James B. Irvine. When the Civil War broke out McFarland volunteered in the Confederate Army and was made a captain in the 4th Alabama Infantry. He fought in the first battle of Manassas. After his first twelve month enlistment was up, he was tasked with recruiting a cavalry regiment. His new regiment joined General John H. Morgan and participated in the Ohio raid. When General Morgan was captured, McFarland’s regiment was transferred to General Cleburne’s command. He led a charge at Dug Gap for which his gallantry was cited by General Cleburne. At Villa Rica, Georgia, he was wounded severely when his horse was shot out from under him. McFarland was on station in Huntsville from December 1864 until Union forces drove him out of the city in January 1865. After the war, he returned to Florence and practicing law.
Hannings, Bud. 2013. Every day of the Civil War : a chronological encyclopedia. n.p.: Boston, Massachusetts : Credo Reference, 2013., 2013. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). T. A. DeLand, A. Davis Smith. n.d. "genealogytrails.com." Alabama Trails Biographies. Accessed April 17, 2015. http://genealogytrails.com/ala/lauderdale/biomcfarland.html. Scott, Jaqueline E. 1990. "Major McFarland makes Florence his home." Times Daily, July 9: 4d.
Photo from following websites: http://genealogytrails.com/ala/lauderdale/biomcfarland.html Photo from following websites: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/116389971590120539/ Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, ALA,39-FLO,6-3
Courtview Headquarters of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest
Courtview; Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest; Greek Revival Architecture; Sarah Independence McDonald; University of North Alabama; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Greek revival mansion built in 1855 by George Washington Foster required an act of the Alabama legislature to close Court Street. Foster’s daughter Sarah Independence McDonald and her family lived there until 1900, when it was purchased by Emmet O’Neal. Therefore, it had a commanding view of the town and river below. Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest chose this vantage for his headquarters while the Army of the Tennessee prepared for its ill-fated invasion of Tennessee. In 1922, Thomas M. Rogers bought the house and in 1948 the University of North Alabama acquired it.
Hannings, Bud. 2013. Every day of the Civil War : a chronological encyclopedia. n.p.: Boston, Massachusetts : Credo Reference, 2013., 2013. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
Photo from following websites: http://battleofselma.com/?page_id=1208 Photo from following websites: https://www.una.edu/history/Historic%20UNA/rogers-hall.html
General and Governor Edward Asbury O’Neal from Florence
Edward Asbury O’Neal; Florence, AL; 9th Alabama Infantry Regiment; Sannoner Historic District; Army of Northern Virginia; Secession; Andersonville Prison; Lauderdale County, AL
The Home of Governor and Confederate Brigadier General Edward Asbury O’Neal was in downtown Florence Alabama. After graduating from LaGrange College he studied law in Huntsville and married Olivia Moore. He passed the bar in 1840 and began a law practice in Florence, Alabama, that same year. When the couple rode through the town of Florence, Olivia spotted a home under construction that she liked and persuaded her husband to buy it. The house was on North Court Street in the Sannoner Historic District. O’Neal had been a strong proponent of the secession movement. After the firing on Fort Sumter in South Carolina, he raised a company form the local area for the 9th Alabama Infantry Regiment. O’Neal received a commission as colonel for the 26th Alabama Infantry Regiment, in March 1862. The 26th Alabama was assigned to General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. The unit and O’Neal fought in many of the major battles of the Eastern Theater of the Civil War. This included Seven Pines, Seven Days, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. O’Neal was wounded twice in battle and placed in command of the guards at Andersonville prison in Americus, Georgia for a short stent when it was first opened. O’Neal and the 26th Alabama participated in the unsuccessful defense of Atlanta from General Sherman. O’Neal and a group of survivors from Alabama regiments surrendered in 1865 at Greensboro North Carolina. When he surrendered his official rank was Colonel. The Confederate government had agreed to a promotion to Brigadier General; however, the designation had not arrived before his surrender. The state of Alabama would later give him a commission as a brigadier general. After the war O’Neal returned to Florence and the practice of law. He entered back into Alabama politics in 1875 and was elected the 26th Governor of Alabama in 1882.
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). McDaniel, Mary Jane. 2008. "Edward A. O'Neal." encyclopediaofalabama.org. February 13. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1459.
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Cow Pen Factory; Civil War; Green Hill; Colonel Florence M. Cornyn; Lauderdale County, AL
The Cow Pen Factory was a water powered mill on Cow Pen Creek near Green Hill, Alabama. The factory had been founded in 1850. In 1860, the factory employed sixty-eight men and sixteen women and produced 117,600 yards of cloth. In the early years of the civil war, it produced uniforms for the Confederate Army. During Colonel Florence M. Cornyn’s raid on Lauderdale County in the spring of 1863, Union troops burned the factory along with several other industrial sites in the county. The factory was rebuilt after the war and operated until 1880.
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. "Alabama Trails Business & Manfacturies." genealogytrails.com. Accessed April 10, 2015. http://genealogytrails.com/ala/lauderdale/businesspast.html.
Photo from following websites: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/corinth-ms-court-martial-and-murder-of-colonel-francis-cornyn-10th-missouri-cavalry.108468/
Center Star; Civil War; Confederate Colonel Williams Johnson; 9th Ohio Cavalry; Lauderdale County, AL
Confederate Colonel William Johnson’s 4th Alabama Cavalry crossed the Tennessee River and attacked the 7th Illinois infantry encamped near Center Star on May 7, 1864. A six hour battle ensued. The Confederate raid caused 35 casualties and drove the Union into retreat back toward Rogersville. There the 7th Illinois joined up with the 9th Ohio Cavalry under the command of Colonel Rowett. On May13, the combined Union force attacked Johnson’s camp at Center Star. As a result of the second engagement, the confederate forces were driven back across the river.
Hannings, Bud. 2013. Every day of the Civil War : a chronological encyclopedia. n.p.: Boston, Massachusetts : Credo Reference, 2013., 2013. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). n.d. "Illinois Adjutant General's Report." old-new-orleans.co. Accessed April 18, 2015. http://www.old-new-orleans.com/ILLINOIS_CW_reghist.pdf.
Photo from following websites: http://www.oocities.org/bourbonstreet/Delta/3843/johnson.htm Photo from following websites: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40292381
Confederate Brigadier General Sterling Wood from Florence
Brigadier General Sterling Wood; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; Civil War; Confederacy
Sterling Wood was a Brigadier General for the Confederate Army from Lauderdale County. Wood passed the bar to become a practicing lawyer in 1845 and joined his brother’s practice in Florence, Alabama. Wood was elected to represent Lauderdale County in the Alabama House of Representatives in 1857. He was chosen to serve as district solicitor in that session. After Alabama succeeded in 1861, Wood joined the Confederate Army as a captain in the 7th Alabama and was elected its Colonel. Wood was promoted to Brigadier General on January 7, 1862. General Wood was engaged in many of the pivotal battles in the Western Theater of the Civil War. His brigade fought under General Johnston at Shiloh as part of Hardee’s corps. His command participated in the Kentucky campaign of General Bragg. In that campaign he was recognized for valor at Perryville, where he was severely wounded. His command was again active in the Murfreesboro campaign. The last battle for Wood was Chickamauga after which he resigned his commission. After the war he resumed practice as a lawyer in Tuscaloosa.
Derry, Joseph Tyrone. 1895. Story of the Confederate States; or, History of the war for southern independence embracing a brief but comprehensive sketch of the early settlement of the country, trouble with the Indians, the French, revolutionary and Mexican wars. n.p.: Richmond, Va. : B.F. Johnson publishing company, 1895., 1895. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed May 1, 2015). Evans, Clement A. 1962. Confederate military history; a library of Confederate States history, in twelve volumes. n.p.: New York : Thomas Yoseloff, [1962], 1962. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
Photo from following websites: http://www.google.com/search?q=Brigadier+General+Sterling+Wood+from+Florence&safe=active&rlz=1C1EODB_enUS572US572&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=u5hHVYHvB4SXgwTKoYGYCw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=1150&bih=666&dpr=0.9&surl=1#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=Florence+alabama+wesleyan+hall&imgrc=GK5UMAdfhCjO6M%253A%3BmnyYYoTTC2SMqM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcdn.stateuniversity.com%252Fassets%252Flogos%252Fimages%252F581%252Flarge_Wesleyan_hall.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.stateuniversity.com%252Funiversities%252FAL%252FUniversity_of_North_Alabama.html%3B500%3B375 Photo from following websites: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11114