Washington County GaArchives News.....Sandersville In Ruins March 27, 1855 ************************************************ 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: Mary Esther Lord Smith http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00027.html#0006600 April 7, 2018, 5:12 am Milledgeville Southern Recorder March 27, 1855 The entire town of Sandersville, county seat of Washington County, burned March 24, 1855, including the courthouse. The fire started about 2pm in Nathan Renfroe's wood shop on the edge of town and spread quickly, aided by high winds. Citizens could do little but watch as flames advanced. Many of the county records were removed from the courthouse to the office of the Central Georgian newspaper, but that building also succumbed. The county lost almost all of its records. The next courthouse was destroyed during the Civil War. Before leaving Sandersville at 9am on November 27, 1864, federal troops set fire to the building. General Sherman had ordered the destruction after Confederate defenders used the portico to fire on advancing troops. Probate records were saved, but the superior court's records were destroyed. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/washington/newspapers/sandersv3296nw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 1.5 Kb