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| A portion of the crowd assembled to listen to historian Bill Scaife and several decendants of ancestors of the campaign discuss the terrible fighting in 1864 from both the "bird's-eye" view and the "human" perspective. Many speakers stressed the need to continue preservation efforts. |
The first Atlanta Campaign Reunion-Rally went very well and was enjoyed by all that attended and participated. The event, held at the State Capitol and organized by the Georgia Civil War Commission and Georgia Battlefields Association, featured long-time campaign historian Bill Scaife as the keynote speaker. Scaife stressed that we are rapidly losing the battlefields of the campaign due to residential and commercial development. He stated that efforts should be stepped-up to preserve as much of what remains as possible. "It is later than you think," Scaife told the crowd.
Perhaps the highlight of the day was the personal reminiscences of ten descendants whose ancestors actually fought (some being killed) during the fateful 1864 campaign. The North and the South were represented equally by five descendants each. A good number of the speakers were from out of state, one coming from as far away as California to take part in the commemoration. Each had an interesting story to tell. Many brought photographs or period artifacts in order to share some personal aspect of their particular ancestor's past with those in attendance.
Two members of the Friends of Resaca took part in the event. Ken Padgett spoke about the involvement of several of his ancestors in the campaign while Jule Medders performed a couple of songs from his excellent CD of original music inspired by the War Between the States.
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| Friends of Resaca President Jule Medders sings "Shades of Blue and Gray" during the Reunion/Rally. Melea Tennant provides the harmony. | Friends of Resaca board member Ken Padgett addresses the crowd regarding his ancestors (The Stowers Brothers) role in the campaign. |
According to the event's official program, the intent of the occasion was "to pay homage to those brave soldiers of North and South and to promote preservation of the battlefields on which they so valiantly fought 135 years ago."
The program continued: "While many of these sites have been preserved for the education and illumination of this and future generations, other significant landmarks of this titanic struggle have been destroyed by developers' bulldozers and are lost to us forever. Before other such desecretion erases more of Georgia's Civil War past, we owe it to our children and our children's children to protect such historic landmarks as still remain."
"Any people with contempt for their heritage have lost faith in themselves and no nation can long survive without pride in its traditions."
The spirit of the day’s activities were perhaps best summed up by Scott R. Young, who read a letter to the crowd written by his ancestor in 1913. It read in part:
"In conclusion, I am glad that the bitterness engendered by the strife has about died out. In the sunset of life with the evening shadows falling around me, I can say that I bear no ill will to any Federal who fought for what he thought to be right. This is as it should be. The bones of Oliver Cromwell lie in Westminster Abby along side of England's hereditary Kings. The red and white roses have long since blended their perfumes in England's glory. And why not the Blue and Gray be taken as a common heritage of American valor and heroism."
Written by, N.B. Nesbitt 55th (Browns) Tenn. Co. H
Nov. 21, 1913 Carroll County Democrat
Bryant's Company of Confederate Soldiers
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| Several reenactors were on hand to particpate in the event. Here two soldiers representing the Blue and the Gray act a scene that was common during the Atlanta Campaign. During a "truce" they meet between lines to exchange Southern tobacco for Northern coffee. Event organizer and Georgia Battlefields Trustee Bob Rivers looks on from the Capitol steps. |
Visit the Georgia Civil War Commission Web Site here.
