Schley County GaArchives News.....Mysterious Disappearance Albertus T. Guice May 30, 1895 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Harris Hill http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002514 June 16, 2005, 9:56 am The Schley County News May 30, 1895 A STRANGE ROMANCE Mysterious Disappearance of one of the Schley Guards at the Battle of Turner's Mill in 1864. Many of the Old Comrades of Albertus Guice Will Recall the Circumstances that Left Them in Doubt as to His Fate. Mr. John Guice, one of the best known citizens of Rome, showed the Constitution's correspondent an old daguerreotype of a youthful soldier in confederate gray, with the chevrons of a sergeant on his sleeves and a sword in his hand, that is interwoven with a strange story of real life. The picture was the last one taken of his brother, Sergeant Albertus T. Guice, who left his home in Schley county at the age of 20 and as a member of the Schley Guards, marched to the front in 1862. His company became a part of the 5th Georgia regiment of infantry and with the exception of two furloughs of ten days each, he fought through the war until the army started on its stubborn and bloody retreat through Georgia in 1864. Young Guice had been promoted to a sergeancy for his bravery, and was a most popular young officer and a favorite with the command. Just before the famous artillery battle at Resaca there was a fight at Turner's Mill, near by. Among the Missing. Dr. Green (T.G.) Cheney and others of his command from Schley county, were with the dashing young officer when they went into battle, but when they came out he was missing. They searched the bloody field in vain for his body, they watched and waited for some tidings of sergeant Guice, but none ever came, and from that day to this, his fate has been a hidden mystery. His aged parents clung to the fond hope that he hed been captured long after the war was over, and scanned the face of every stranger in the community hoping to discover their long lost son. But he never came back and the mystery of his disappearance will probably never be explained this side of the resurrection morn. Mr. Guice treasures the picture very highly as he never saw his brother which is said, by those who knew him, to resemble this brother. There is another brother here, Lieutenant Guice of the police department. They would be glad to communicate with any of the old veterans who knew their lost brother so as to get all the facts possible of his career in the service. Additional Comments: From the roster of Co. G, 5th Ga. Inf. plus comments. Guice, Albertus T.---1st Corporal May 11, 1861. Appointed Sergeant. Supposed to have been killed at Tanner's Ferry, Ga. May 15, 1864. Found on 1860 Schley census HH 390, age 20, s/o Lucinda.who married Redding Naylor, also on this roster. Additional Info from Alice: The foregoing story appeared in the May 30, 1895 issue of the Schley County News. I posted it about 2 years ago. It was recently read in our archives by Alice Walker a descended family member and she was able to add to the story and share the solution to the mystery. Alice explains her connection as follows: "Sgt. Guice was the son of Jonas Guice and Jane Shipp Guice; my great great grandmother, Lucinda Naylor, was the sister of Jane." We are grateful for Alice's contribution which follows the original article. It's a great story. The mystery of Albertus' disappearance was solved two years after the Schley County News article appeared. Before he went off to war, a young lady gave him a silk drawstring tobacco pouch embroidered with his initials. A letter was published in the Atlanta Constitution in 1897: "Editor, Constitution--Will ask through your paper if any relative of Sergeant A.T. Guice, Company G, Fifth Georgia Infantry would like a silk and embroidered pouch with needleworked initials A.T.G., which pouch was taken from his dead body at Lay's Ferry, seven miles below Resaca, on May 14, 1864? If so, let them address C.E. McNall, Lebanon, Kansas. Lebanon, Kansas, Aug., 14, 1897." Lieutenant Winfield Guice, Albertus' brother, wrote to Mr. McNall and received the pouch. I wish I could say that the family was still in possession of it, but Uncle Winfield sent it back to the lady who had made it all those years ago. "Silly Winfield", my great-aunt used to say! I have a picture of Albertus in his uniform, but my family research files are in a bit of a mess and I can't find it. The same picture is on page 19 of "Remembering Georgia's Confederates" by Dr. David N. Wiggins. I think this is a wonderful story, and I'm glad I could pass it along to you! Alice File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/schley/newspapers/mysterio680gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.2 Kb