The Stoneman Raid, Wilkinson County

In July, 1864, Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman's Army [US] closed in on Atlanta. Finding its fortifications "too strong to assault and too extensive to invest," he sought to force its fall by sending Maj. Gen. George Stoneman with three cavalry brigades (2112 men and 2 guns) to cut the Central of Georgia R.R. by which the city's defenders [CS] were supplied. On the 27th, Stoneman left Decatur, crossed the Ocmulgee (Yellow) River near Covington (69 miles NW), and turned down the left bank toward Macon. On the 30th, at Clinton (16 miles W), Major F. M. Davidson, 14th Illinois Cavalry, was detached with 125 men to destroy railway facilities. Here at Gordon, he "burned a large brick depot filled with army supplies, destroying 11 locomotives, and burned 11 trains of cars consisting of 40 passenger cars, 80 box-cars, filled with commissary and quartermaster stores, and 20 open cars loaded with machinery, also burned a large building stored with tools and machinery belonging to the railroad company, and 1 cotton factory: destroyed the telegraph office, with several instruments, capturing the operator, and tore up half a mile of railroad track." He destroyed facilities and supplies at McIntyre and at Toomsboro, and burned the railway bridge over the Oconee River. Repulsed at Macon, Stoneman's retreat was intercepted early on the 31st at Sunshine Church (7 miles north of Clinton) by Brig. Gen. Alfred Iverson, Jr., who, with only 1300 cavalry [CS] deluded Stoneman into surrendering to his much smaller force.