Sherman's March through Covington

Ludlow75

Senior Member
Was talking to a local historian the other day. Chatting about how Sherman didn't burn or totally destroy Covington. He asked me if I knew why....
I have always heard that one of his class mates from West Point was from Covington area. Another tale is that one of his officers had family here. He told me, that was the written history but he knew of the truth. He said the reason that Sherman didn't destroy Covington was because he was scared to...
He went on to say that Sherman believed that there was a vortex in and around where the Upper Creek and Cherokee Indians would meet and trade. It is said that this area was chosen as a cross roads because of the powers from the earth concentrated in this location. This area is located where the new Baxter Plant has been built. I have also heard a few years back smiggits of conversations that Baxter has been digging a tunnel in search of something. I wrote that off thinking this fella has had one too many adult beverages but after talking to this old fella...
Has anyone ever heard of such???
 

Walker44

Senior Member
Dont know much about the Covington aspect But as someone who has visited West Point with school trips ect. Sherman was an very accomplished artist. The West Point Cadet Gallery Has many sketches he drew while there as a cadet. The vast majority are of native americans.
 

Milkman

Deer Farmer Moderator
Staff member
I have read several books about Shermans March to the Sea. I don't recall reading anything like that. Some writers say the amount of damage inflicted was worse depending on the resistance.

Also the amount of damage seemed to get worse as they moved. The wing that passed through Conyer and Covington had only been walking 2-3 days.

Get a copy of Southern Storm. It has lots of detail
 

1eyefishing

...just joking, seriously.
The story I heard is that Sherman had a couple of West Point alumni friends in Covington and Oxford. So he mostly left that zone alone.

This is a place in Covington that my pop owned for about 15 years. Was used as a union Hospital and hospice and left intact. It had (slave) shackles cemented into the basement walls. Ghosts in the hallways and bedrooms. There was an orginal 4' by 7' hand blown glass mirror over a large wooden foot locker on the second level that gave me the heebie-jeebies every time I looked in it. How many people had looked before?
Much of the original hand blown glass windows were still in the house. 12 foot ceilings on the first two floors. Entire 24 inch diameter oak trees with flat sides cut on to them laying in the attic for the beams that held the rafters and supports.
Was the scene of the Friday the 13th movie where Freddy Krueger fell off the balcony in flames. Also, much of Matlock and In the Heat of the Night was filmed there. It is still in the introduction of all the Heat of the Night shows. It is the big house with the circular driveway full of flashing police cars in front.
Originally it stood at the front of over 25,000 acres of farmland that is now the southwestern quadrant of town.
Since it was sold, it is now become a bed-and-breakfast.
 

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Nuttin Better

Senior Member
Was talking to a local historian the other day. Chatting about how Sherman didn't burn or totally destroy Covington. He asked me if I knew why....
I have always heard that one of his class mates from West Point was from Covington area. Another tale is that one of his officers had family here. He told me, that was the written history but he knew of the truth. He said the reason that Sherman didn't destroy Covington was because he was scared to...
He went on to say that Sherman believed that there was a vortex in and around where the Upper Creek and Cherokee Indians would meet and trade. It is said that this area was chosen as a cross roads because of the powers from the earth concentrated in this location. This area is located where the new Baxter Plant has been built. I have also heard a few years back smiggits of conversations that Baxter has been digging a tunnel in search of something. I wrote that off thinking this fella has had one too many adult beverages but after talking to this old fella...
Has anyone ever heard of such???

Don't know anything about the powers from the earth concentrated in the location of the Baxter plant but having lived in Covington all my life I do know that three rivers come together south of Covington at Jackson Lake. The South, Yellow and Alcovy rivers. The ridges that have formed between the three rivers do seem to effect weather patterns around them. I have witnessed the weather between the rivers being totally different than the weather located outside the area between the rivers. Like raining all around and no rain in between the rivers. Temperatures being several degrees different, different wind speeds and patterns. Don't know what that is all about.
 
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