McIntosh COUNTY, GA - Military Civil War Ebenezer Church Captured Men ***************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm *********************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Franklin S. Wallace fwallace@darientel.net Capture of 23 Old Men in 1864 In Ebenezer Church, 23 old men were captured by Federal troops on the night of August 3rd 1864. These civilians, too old for military service, were the sole protection of McIntosh County, which was constantly being plundered by forces from blockade gunboats. Advised of the meeting by spies, Federal troops surrounded the church in the darkness and opened fire. The old men were captured and marched overland to Blue and Hall Landing near Darien, where they were put on board ship and taken to northern prison. The following is a list and description of the men that were captured: Joseph S. Durant; age 33 years, complexion light, height, 5 feet 7 inches, eyes gray, hair light, occupation planter, and tax collector for the county of McIntosh, which office exempts him from both State and Confederate service: Citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. He states that about fourteen months previous to receiving the above commission he had served twelve months in the Confederate Army; he has never been in battle William Summerline: age 57 years, complexion light, height 5 feet 8 inches, eyes gray, occupation planter; right leg amputated below the knee four years ago. Has never served in the Army under the Confederate Government; citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. Converse Parkhurst; age 51 years, complexion dark, height 5 feet 8 inches, eyes gray, occupation merchant; citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. Remarks: He states he has never been in the military service of the Confederate Government; formerly resides in Darien. His family are residing in New York. William Donnelly; age 53, complexion florid, height 5 feet 3 ½ inches, eyes blue, occupation tinsmith and farmer; is also coroner for the county; "W.D" and American flag and pole on left arm; citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. Remarks: He states that he has never been in service under the Confederate Government. Carried with him a revolver for self defense in the execution of his duty William Nelson; age 51, complexion florid, height 6 feet, occupation farmer; citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. Remarks; He states that he served six months in the Confederate service at the beginning of the war; also that he has not applied for any military office under the order of meeting. Charles Trezevant; age 50, complexion florid, eyes blue, gray hair, height 5 feet 11 inches, occupation farmer; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; States that he has never served under the Confederate Government. Partial paralysis in legs. He had with him a doubled-barrel gun, which he says he was carrying home. (Researcher: Richard Allen ) William R. Townsend; age 58 years, complexion light, eyes blue, gray hair, height 5 feet 7 inches, occupation farmer and shoemaker; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; States that he has never served under the Confederate Government. William J. Cannon; age 60 years, complexion florid, eyes blue, hair gray, height 5 feet 9 inches, occupation farmer and salt maker; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; States that he has never served under the Confederate Government, nor ever taken up arms against the United States Government. William Thorpe; age 46 years, complexion dark, eyes brown, height 6 feet, occupation farmer and justice of the peace for the county; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; His general health bad, and states he served four months in the Confederate service at the beginning of the war. James R. Webber; age 55 years, complexion dark, eyes blue, hair partially gray, height 5 feet 9 inches, occupation sawyer and farmer; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; States that he has never served under the Confederate Government. C. Bennett; age 51 years, complexion light, eyes blue and slightly crossed, height 5 feet 9 inches, occupation shoemaker; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; States that he has never been in the service of the State or Confederate Government. George Young; age 51 years, complexion dark, eyes gray, hair brown, height 5 feet 9 ½ inches, occupation farmer and wheelwright; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; States that he was never in the service of the State or Confederate Government. Macgregor Blount; age 52 years, complexion light, eyes blue, hair sandy, height 5 feet 11 inches, occupation farmer; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; States that he has served under the Confederate Army thirteen months. William Sallet; age 58 years, eyes blue, hair dark, complexion dark, height 5 feet 6 ½ inches, occupation planter; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; States that he has never served under the Confederate Government. A revolver was found on him, and he states that he has carried it for several years for self- defense against a citizen. William D. Rowe; age 52 years, complexion light, eyes blue, hair gray, height 5 feet 8 inches, occupation farmer; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; States that he has never served in the military service under the Confederate Government. James Slater; age 53 years, complexion dark, eyes blue, hair dark, height 5 feet 11 inches, occupation engineer and machinist; citizen of Clinch County, Ga. Remarks; States that he never served under the Confederate Government, nor has he ever been engaged in doing work for them at his business. John Blount; age 53 years, complexion light, eyes gray, hair partially gray, height 5 feet 5 inches, occupation farmer; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks: Never has served in the military service of the Confederate Government. B. LeSueur; age 32 years, complexion dark, eyes dark, height 5 feet 8 inches; citizen of McIntosh County Ga. Remarks; States he has served in the Confederate army for twelve months as a private. Exempt from military service by a permit from the Government on account of manufacturing salt. He was engaged in making salt near South Newport, Ga., for a private company; is manager of the works. States that he has never applied for any military office under the Confederate Government. James D. McDonald; age 50 years, complexion dark, eyes blue, hair light, height 5 feet 5 inches, occupation farmer and salt maker; citizen of Twiggs County, Ga. Remarks; States he was engaged in making salt as an employee of a private company, having a special exemption from military duty from the Government to do so; also states he never has served in the military of the State or Confederate Government. Samuel R.J. Thorpe; age 40 years, complexion light, eyes brown, hair brown and slightly gray, height 6 feet 1 inches, occupation farmer; citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. Remarks; States that he has never served in the military service of the State or Confederate Government. John Hendrickson; age 51 years, complexion light, eyes dark blue, hair light, height 5 feet 8 inches, occupation taking care of 100 rafts of timber for Carl Epping, agent for the company [of] Mr. Heerishers, in Savannah Ga.; citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. Remarks; States he has never served under the Confederate Government. George Johnston; age 16 years, complexion dark, eyes hazel, hair brown, height 5 feet 4 inches; Remarks; A boy and has no occupation; lives with his widowed mother at Johnston Station, McIntosh County, Ga. Daniel Lane; age 16 years, eyes gray, complexion dark, hair brown, height 5 feet 5 ½ inches. Remarks; No occupation; son of a widow; citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. Obed S. Davis; age 20 years, complexion dark, eyes hazel, hair brown and curly, height 6 feet 3 inches, occupation planter; citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. Remarks; States that he has been a soldier in the Confederate Army three year by next October, and found at home without permission. John Chapman; age 55 years, complexion light, eyes gray, hair black, height 5 feet 9 ½ inches, occupation planter, citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. Remarks; States he has never been in the military service of the State or Confederate Government. Isham L. Johnston; age 36 years, complexion dark, eyes black, hair black, height 5 feet 6 ½ inches, occupation planter, and is a justice of the inferior court; citizen of McIntosh County, Ga. Remarks; States that he has served six months in the Confederate Army at the beginning of the war; also states that the said office of justice of the inferior court exempts from military duty, both under the State and Confederate Government ** Names and descriptions taken from the official records of the Union and Confederate Navies ==================== Extract from the Savannah Republican, August 6, 1864 A Yankee Trick on the "Reserve Militia" of McIntosh We hear of a shrewd thing on the part of the Yankees, by which one of Colonel Gaulden's Reserve Militia meetings, in McIntosh County, was summarily brought to an unexpected consummation. The colonel himself relates the story in another column, though there are other particulars which we have gather from gentlemen residing in that section. The parties captured at Sapelo Bridge were. Sam. Thorpe, William Thorpe, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Lassier, and Mr. Trezevant. Daniel McDonald, James McDonald and Richard Cogdale approached the bridge on their way to the meeting, but perceiving the "blue breeches" beat a retreat. The Bridge was burned and the raiders left with their prisoners, whose number would have been largely added to had they remained there concealed. Among the parties captured at the church was the venerable Captain Armand Lefils, who was released on account of his age. Mr. Townsend and Mr. Pease made their escape by jumping out of the window as the Yankees were about surrounding the house. The horse of the former fell, as he was hastening off, and Mr. Townsend broke his shoulder by the fall, but kept on and made good his escape. Colonel Gaulden made a narrow escape, and owes it to a member of the Reserves, who rode back in haste and met him some 2 miles from the church. **From the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies ============================================= Extract from the Savannah Republican, Saturday, August 6, 1864 A Yankee raid in McIntosh [STATION] No.3 Gulf Railroad, Liberty County, August 4, 1864 EDITOR REPUBLICAN: In obedience to orders previously issued by me, the citizens of McIntosh County assembled at Ebenezer Church, the present county site and courthouse of the county, on yesterday for enrollment and organization. About half past 10 o'clock the Yankee's suddenly surrounded them with a force of from 50 to 100 men, sailors and Negroes. The people broke to run, when they were fired on by the enemy. Some were captured; a number made their escape. About 10 o'clock they ambuscaded the Sapelo bridge, 4 mile this side, on stage road, captured several there and took them on to the church. All being assembled, a few minutes before 12 o'clock a.m, the captain commanding the band took out my orders of the 26th ultimo published in the Savannah Republican ordering the meeting and read it to his men and the prisoners, and remarked: "The hour of 12 is now at hand, and Colonel Gaulden has not arrived. I wish we had him-would rather have him than all of you. He has, no doubt, gotten information of us and has absented himself." Whereupon they took all the horses and buggies, rode in them, and made our men walk, [illegible] started for Darien. They carried off 15 citizens of McIntosh County. As far as I can learn, none of our men was killed or wounded. It seems that there were two parties, one set up to burn the bridge so as to prevent pursuit, whilst the balance laid in ambush around the church, from before day in the morning until assembling of the people. The captain stated that his orders were not to injure private property, but to capture the party assembled there, of which he had notice through the Savannah papers. At this result I feel profoundly humiliated. The following will explain itself, and from it I trust our people will profit. After Darien, the county site, was burned, the last legislature authorized the inferior court of the county to select a new county site. They selected Ebenezer Church, 9 miles this side of Darien, on the stage road, with a good gunboat river at or near The Ridge, east 8 miles; Baisden's Bluff 4 or 5 miles east, a good landing, with a fine river for gunboats; and Sapelo River, over which the bridge was burned, and navigable for gunboats to the bridge, thus selecting a place flanked on three sides with rivers and landings suitable for gunboats. When I issued my order for the assembling of the people I was totally ignorant of the location of the church, but supposed it to be in the interior of the county. One of the justices, being present when I issued the order, requested me to assemble the people there, as it was a safe place. I knew no better until Monday morning, when I found on enquiry that it was located inconveniently near the enemy. I then stated to my friends that we would all be captured, but it was to late to countermand the order. On night before last (Tuesday night), at Jonesville, I met one of the justices, who informed me particularly of its location as above described. I remarked to him that we would all be captured on the morrow, and that the inferior court instead of being the guardians of the public should have guardians themselves or be put in the lunatic asylum. This justice went down with me on yesterday, and when within 2 miles of the place we were informed the bridge was burned and the church surrounded. Such unparalleled stupidity as the location of this court-house I have never met with before. Had I been ten minutes earlier I should have been in their hands. As the captain seems to be a reader of your paper. I take this opportunity to make my compliments to him and to say that when he calls to see me again I shall be at home, and will try and give him a more respectful reception. Respectfully yours, Wm. B. Gaulden Colonel, A. D. C., Commanding Coast Guard P.S. I gather the above facts from Captain Lefils, whom they captured and released on account of his great age, being 71. ============================ ============================ NOTE: An order was given and published in the Savannah Republican on 27th July 1864 for the males of McIntosh County to meet on the 3rd of August to form themselves into a coast guard. I also found out that there were alot more men at the meeting. The majority escaped by running. These were ordinary citizens -- no official Confederate company Additional NOTE: In his excellent book Early Days on the Georgia Tidewater, author Buddy Sullivan writes of this incident which happened the night of August 3, 1864. A naval force of 115 men, commanded by George M. Colvocoresses Captain of the US Sloop of War, Saratoga, landed at Baisden's Bluff and marched to the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church north of Darien, Georgia. The force surrounded the church and demanded surrender. Most attendees of the meeting escaped by running into the woods. Twenty-six were captured. ====================================